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solarmason-blog · 8 years ago

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to find ourselves some truth | mclopez

WHO: Mason McCarthy & Santana Lopez ( @trickstersantana ) WHAT: Santana clues Mason into her plan. WHERE: NYADA Cafeteria. WHEN: Sunday, 1/8, after the Elliott/Santana duel. WARNINGS: Nah.

Not so long ago the fact that she was going to hang out with a slayer, and Mason of all Slayers would had make her laugh of the ridiculous of the idea. But here she was, in parting testing him, in part because her plans are usually the worst and if it's Mason the one who suffer the consequences she wouldn't care much. She went to the cafeteria with Madison's sunglasses in search of the slayer boy. Mason was already there; he'd bypassed the ice cream in favor of cookies and a small bowl of strawberries and sugar. The events of the night before weighed on his mind, but he still smiled when he spotted Santana enter the cafeteria. "San," he called over the noise, waving a hand to catch her attention. Santana nodded at seeing Mason. "Number Two" She said, "You were going to invite me for something, didn't you?" She asked, searching for a table that was far away from everyone. "We have business to talk about" "Alright," Mason said with a shrug. He figured that was probably smart; it took a bit of doing, but they finally found a table well away from the main bustle of the cafeteria. "How're you, Santana?" As much as he hated small-talk, especially when there were more important things to talk about, business was business, and a certain amount of nicety was required. "I hear you've been winning your duels so far." "Awesome" She just answered "I'm invincible and can beat everyone, including you" She ordered a coffee and a coulant. "And you, Number 2, how is life treating you?" She said, in case he has something relevant to say before she started talking about why they really were there. "Life is treating me fine," he said, chewing the edge of his lip for a moment. "But I did have a question for you. Are you aware of any illusion that can interact with the world? Like, say you illusioned a cup. It wouldn't hold water, right?" He leaned forward in his seat a little, a frown creasing his brow. "That sounds like there are some issues" She just said to Mason while taking off her sunglasses. She was surprised he asked her about illusions. Oh, this was going to be really long. Try not to be a total nerd, Santana "In that case people just make it look like the fake cup holded the water. They could make it look like the water is there, and if they are really skilled, you could touch it and feel the water where it should be." She explained "Why do you ask?" Mason nodded slowly. "Right," he said, frown deepening a bit. "But an illusion couldn't..." He trailed off for a moment, then shook his head. He was so bad at talking around things - subtlety was not a virtue he possessed. "I saw a guy do this thing. He was talking, holding things, definitely like...Taking action that was real." He thought about the message on his phone. It could have come from anywhere - not necessarily the person he was looking at "texting" him. "And then he just disappeared. Like, a puff of smoke." Mason made a poof gesture. "Have you ever heard of anything like that?" She listened to Mason explanation "...And what makes you think that's an illusion person holding things? It would just have more sense a person taking a thing and then making an illusion to appear invisible, or just vanish with smoke. That's freaking easy, actually" Specially if you were a trickster."Did someone stole something from you, Number two?"

Mason shook his head. "No," he said, "they didn't take anything." Unfortunately. Mason ran a hand through his hair and sighed. "That makes more sense, you're right." But it didn't get him anywhere. "What was your thing?"

"That's good then" she just said, wondering what the hell was Mason talking about. "Did you watched a Commons magician shows? I mean, you can do that even without magic, so" She shrug. Now it was her turn "I have a plan to get who was the guy" She whispered. "We know 3 key things of him. He is a guy, he is a witch and he got his nose broken on November 30" She had to guess that one searching on the NYADaily because Elliott didn't fucking answered her. Maybe he didn't answered her because she broke her phone, but the facts remained the same. She paused to drink some of her coffee "And you" She pointed at him "Are the one who is going to find out more about this guy... what do you think, sp...Spyson...Mc...McDetective spio...spiocarthy" She couldn't choose on a nickname so she just said them all. Mason pointed at himself, raising an eyebrow as she gave him about a dozen new nicknames, none of which sounded remotely plausible except maybe Spyson, but that wasn't the point. "Okay," Mason agreed cautiously. "How exactly am I going to do that?" Mason paused. "Or do I get to figure that part out on my own?" His mind drifted to the nurse's office; he'd let Madison do the work of stealing the thing. Maybe it was his turn to be useful.

That was fast, Santana though. Good to see people agreeing to things. "Don't worry, you aren't completelly alone at this." Just a bit. She whispered more "Just... If nurse Penny though you were the guy we are looking for... and you ask her about, well, 'yourself', we could get some information" She explained, taking a cup of coffee "Are you ready to make a deal, Masey, for the greater good?"

He pursed his lips at the nickname - it was one thing when it was Madison, or Puck; Santana was something else entirely, but if he let her know that he'd never hear anything else. He leaned back in his chair and let out a breath, studying her. "A deal," Mason echoed slowly. Everything he'd ever been taught about tricksters ended with 'and never take a deal because they'll use it to kill you'. Admittedly part of him was still worried that this was a trap, something that she had constructed to screw him over in some way he hadn't figured out yet. But it was about Elliott. The quote-unquote greater good. And Mason wanted to get the baddie - he wanted to not feel useless. "Give me all the details." Mason finally said, letting out a sigh. "And all the terms, all the everything." Mason swallowed. "And then...maybe." He watched her; maybe it was her distrust aura or maybe it was his prejudices, but aether something was telling him to run far and run fast.

Santana looked at him, unamazed. "Do you want me to write it on a contract or what?" She always loved to play the mysterious trickster cause she was actually really fucking bad at explaining anything. Too many years living with ambiguous talk and annoying riddles. She keep whispering "We make a deal for Nurse Penny. So she would see you as 'the first guy who came with a broken nose after November 30th'. You go and talk to her and try to make her say 'your name' or whatever information you can get about 'yourself'" She did the quotation marks. "Try to get her alone so people don't suspect much, and try to get any information you can... and if the guy didn't go to the hospital or a lot of people went with a broken nose, then ...well... it's worth a try"

Mason nodded slowly as she spoke, frown still on his face. He wasn't sure what the consequences were for impersonating someone, especially where medical records were concerned, but... "It's worth a try," Mason finally said, letting out a breath. "How does the deal work?" It was no riskier than meeting a stranger surrounded by Commons, he figured - and he wasn't actually angling to look at medical records. There were better people to illusion himself as for that. Which, if this didn't work... "How will you make me look like the guy if you don't know who he is?"

"I don't need to know how he looks, Penny is the only one who need to know how he looks" Making her own ilusions were her creating a world of her own, but deals worked differently. It was the thing that all trickster had in common. She didn't want to give many details of how it worked to Mason though. "You tell me the day you wanna try to met her, we hang out before, we make the deal, and you go and try to get something... you know like 'hey Penny remember me?' or something like that. I'm sure you can invent something" She has 0 faith actually.

Mason rolled his eyes. "I'm not asking for a script, Santana, I'm asking to know what exactly you're going to do to me." He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. Tried to push past her aura. "I just...This isn't you just being a dick to me for a reason I haven't figured out yet, right? Because--if this goes to hell, it's me on the line, San. I want to help Elliott, I do, you know I do, but..." Mason sighed and dropped his gaze to where he was picking at the edge of the table. "What if he didn't even go to the hospital? What if he just got a friend to heal him or something?"

"Then we will find out if he went or not" She explained. "I'm not doing anything to you. It's Penny the one who is going to see you differently." She took a bite of her food "This is me trying to get information" with a very bad plan. Santana style. "Look, the worse that can happend is you making a fool of yourself. If no one got to the hospital with a broken nose on...let's say 2 days, then the deal won't even work, and I'll notice that." Probably. "You on the line... I though you were used to that." she said, smiling.

"I am," Mason agreed, then shook his head at himself. "Making a fool of myself isn't exactly unusual either," he allowed, with a little smile. He was still incredibly uneasy, and he didn't believe for even one minute that this was going to be as harmless or as easy as Santana seemed to think it was. "Fine." Mason said flatly. "Fine, I'll do it. How does making the deal work?"

Santana smiled to Mason. "Good, just tell me the day you want to do it, I'll see you, we shake hands and that's it! If it doesn't work then we know he didn't went, and if it works then you go to the hospital and talk to Penny and get the most information you can, though it might be incorrect, but it can also ve accurate!" Mason sighed. That still didn't answer his question - didn't a deal require him to give something up, like an exchange? He rubbed his temple. "Okay. This weekend. We can't let this wait too much longer, it's already been..." Mason shook his head. If they had just solved the problem when it happened, he'd never be dealing with this stupid knife guy. "I really hope this works."

"I agree" She said. "It's worth a try" She finished her food and looked at Mason. "Do you want something more or invite me to more food?"

Mason shook his head, pushing his bowl away. Suddenly, he wasn’t hungry anymore. He paid for their food and ran a hand through his hair. “Nah. I gotta go, actually. Homework.” Really, he just didn’t want to be roped into any more of her crazy schemes...this one had to work, or what was the point of any of this?

#para: all #para: 066 #para: santana #santana: all #para: to find ourselves some truth

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emilianopavone · 4 years ago

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Self Para 003.

Though he questioned the choice as soon as he walked in the door, there were several explanations Emiliano could give for why he was going to church on a Thursday afternoon. The first was his mother, a reminder that if he was meant to be a practicing Catholic it might help to actually practice. The second was mere happenstance, a trip into town for business that made the pitstop convenient if not incredibly ironic. But the third, and perhaps most important reason, was Montgomery. He wasn’t sure why and he wasn’t sure when, but after the second sleepless night wrapped in the man’s arms, it was clear that his magic bullet for quieting his restless thoughts wasn’t so magic anymore.

Emil wasn’t worried about the lost sleep, a problem that had become as familiar as its many remedies, but he was worried about his ability to keep hiding it. Montgomery’s habit for noticing things he didn’t want him to was matched only by his penchant for worrying, so in the interest of heading off a host of questions he couldn’t answer honestly, he decided to take him up on his offer. He decided to talk to someone.

Father Rosario greeted him with patient silence from the other side of the thin black screen, a comforting lie of anonymity when Emil was certain he would recognize his voice as soon as he spoke. The symbolism, however, was not lost on him, and he had faith that if there was anyone in the city he could talk to without fear of repercussions — social, legal or otherwise — it was him. So he went through the motions of a ritual that held more meaning in its familiarity than its sanctity, crossing himself as he finally broke the silence.

“Bless me, Father, for I have sinned. It has been two and a half years since my last confession.” It felt like a bad start, but at least it was an honest one, and whether he was out of practice or still searching for the right words, he paused long enough for the priest to prompt him gently along.

“What is it that you came to confess?” There was a neutrality to Father Rosario’s tone that Emil wished he could pin down so he could better emulate it, wondering how long he had practiced before he could ask his parishioners to bear their souls to him as if they were truly free of judgement. He wondered if he or Monty would ever figure out how to do the same.

“Well, I haven’t dedicated as much of my time to God as I should.” Or at least as much as his mother thought he should, and not enough to count time passed since his last confession in months instead of years. “I haven’t always kept the Sabbath or come to Mass. I’ve given into temptation. Temptations,” he corrected, trying to keep anything coy out of his tone when it seemed contrary to the point, “Drinking...a lot. A little less than before, but probably still more than I’m supposed to. Smoking — no drugs though — just the smoking. And sex. A lot of that, too. It’s just with one person now, so I’m not sure if that makes it better.” Emil was fairly certain it didn’t, and he opted to leave out exactly what kind of sex he was having when it was nothing he would apologize for.

“Honor your mother...I could do better with that one. Coveting your neighbor’s possessions, too,” he continued, ticking his way through the commandments and wondering if it was better to list the ones he was following rather than each one he wasn’t. “I’ve been trying not to lie, but I’m not sure that’s the same as telling the truth.” He paused after the words, sincerity surfacing in the midst of a shallow list that made him wonder if that’s what this was. A list of Catholic sins that were all true, but not honest. Stalling more than confessing, and it wasn’t surprising to know Father Rosario had practice with that as well.

“Telling the truth is hard,” he started, neutral tone replaced with warm empathy, “Confession is hard. We have to be at peace with ourselves and the world doesn’t make that easy, does it? It is filled with distractions. Temptations. Things that draw us away from God and make us feel shame. But God is never ashamed of us, that’s what we have to remember. He never stops loving us. Only we can chose to turn away from that love when we let shame block out His light.”

Emil listened quietly, gaze resting on his hands and staying there in the still silence that followed, a long moment that felt like a deep breath. There was a slowness in churches, a disregard for the passage of time that he needed right now. So far removed from the sharp, quick wit of his conversations, of questions that demanded answers, and quiet moments that spoke for him in ways he didn’t want when he couldn’t find the right words fast enough. He appreciated having time that didn’t tick, taking a moment to slip off the plain silver ring that hid his thoughts, playing with it between his fingers like he might have a chance to see them now, too.

“I don’t know if I’m a good person.” Another pause, another breath. “I think I am sometimes. I try to be. But I feel like it’s harder for me than everyone else and I’m not sure what that says about me.” It was a confession he’d already made, less painful the second time he said it out loud, but he wasn’t sure what that said about him either. An ebbing fear or a growing numbness to it.

“It says you’re human,” Father Rosario replied, “We are made in His image, but we are not divine. We see His image in us and we glimpse that divinity when we choose to do good. It is the choosing that matters, and choosing can be hard, even painful.”

“See I did that. I chose to do a good thing. I chose to save someone’s life, but I...” Emil paused, rushing in his explanation but hesitating in his confession, the scalpel feeling so much deadlier when it was in his own hand, “But I had to do horrible things to do it. I had to lie, I had to steal, I had to break laws.” It was another laundry list of sins, worse this time, crimes that felt foolish to disclose yet still didn’t feel like enough, so he cut deeper. “I hurt people,” he admitted after another moment, swallowing hard and pushing deeper, “A lot of people...mostly good ones. Mostly friends.” Messages he thought he’d see again every time he opened his phone, Isa’s number long since blocked when he only remembered a string of pleas. I miss you. Can we Facetime? Can you call? I just want to hear your voice. When are you coming back?

Emil stopped twirling the ring between his fingers, staring at it frozen for a long moment. “I think I hurt the person I was trying to save the most.” It was a cut deep enough that he could feel it, a truth both obvious and overwhelming, and whatever came next in his list was gone. Not sure if it was an argument or an apology that he’d lost track, but he did his best to reclaim the train of thought. “I chose the right thing — the good thing — that’s what matters. So when does it feel like it? When do I see that glimpse of divinity?”

He had looked for it. Some sign that blood could be repaid in gold. In honey-hued drinks and sun-painted skin. He looked for it beside him every morning and every evening, proof in his presence, in the warmth that wrapped around him. But there wasn’t enough comfort in the soft breath on the back of his neck, and he couldn’t find credit in a heartbeat that said Montgomery was alive. Too much blame stitched between still fading scars he was realizing might never go away.

“God never asks us to turn to evil for the sake of good,” Father Rosario said after a moment of careful thought, “He will sometimes ask us to make great sacrifices, ones we may not think that we can survive, but we will.”

“But isn’t that what this is?” Emil interrupted, remembering he preferred an argument to an apology, “I gave up everything. I sacrificed my job, my relationships, my safety…” God he was going to die. He remembered it the way he always did, with a sudden terrifying intensity that he had to ignore before it paralyzed him. “I made the choice to do something good, the choice that screwed me over and ruined all of it. And I don’t get to complain. I don’t get pity or comfort or forgiveness because I gave that up too.” And you know why. He knew why he couldn’t be trusted, why he couldn’t be angry, why he’d lost every argument before it ever started, and why the only person he could talk to was sitting behind a partition. No sympathetic ear he could convince to see his pain as anything but self-induced, no friend who would pity him more than they hated him, and at least it hurt less to hear his justifications picked apart by a man who barely knew him.

“I gave up the chance to be the hero because being a hero wouldn’t have saved him. I made all the hard calls, I made all the sacrifices, and what do I get?” Emil tried to hold onto some shred of self-righteousness, but he felt it breaking apart as quickly as he built it up. Disgust replacing indignation as his anger turned back inward. A poison he couldn’t stop from spreading, and every time he tried it just got worse. I just want you to be okay too.

Father Rosario waited this time, letting the brief spark of resentment burn itself out before offering guidance both harsh and kind. “God does not pity sinners, and he does not comfort them,” he stated clearly, “But God does forgive them, and in that forgiveness you may find comfort.”

“How?” The blunt question was met by a pregnant pause, the priest cautiously picking through its ambiguity but as soon as he started to articulate an answer, Emil cut him off. “How is God’s forgiveness going to make this feel better? How is anything going to make this feel better?” His voice wavered, not from anger, but a desperate despair that was left in its wake, ring clenched in a fist that slowly tightened around it, searching for an anchor. “When I think about it for too long I can’t breathe. It is this...overwhelming weight and it is all-encompassing and suffocating and so I have to put it away. I have to ignore it or I can’t function. And sometimes it’s hours and sometimes it’s days but then I feel it again and it’s worse, it’s always worse. Because I put it away and I shouldn’t get to do that right?” The question broke on a single, sharp laugh, more hysterical than humorous. “I should have to feel it, I should have to feel this terrible, sickening guilt all the time, but I can’t. I can’t. So I put it away, and every time it comes back, it’s worse and worse and--” it feels like it’s going to kill me.

Emil stopped short, words caught in his throat when it didn’t feel fair to say them out loud. Irrational, selfish fears that he pushed back down with everything else that came boiling over. Nails digging into his palm and holding his breath until he could let it out more slowly, waiting for something better than his heartbeat to fill the dead air between them.

“Do you know why God forgives us?” Father Rosario asked eventually, shifting on the other side of the screen to face him more directly, as if he might better impart his guidance if he could catch his gaze through cross-hatched holes, “God does not forgive us because he believes what we did is not wrong or that we have served our penance with a couple of prayers and a priest’s blessing. He forgives us because he believes we can do better. He knows we can. His forgiveness does not right our wrongs, and sometimes we can’t either. But his forgiveness gives us the grace to move forward without judgement. To do better.”

“What if I don’t want God’s forgiveness,” Emil replied, words heavy and numb when he felt too spent to offer anything but cynicism. A humanist boyfriend who might be proud of his skepticism if it wasn’t so self destructive.

“Then why have you come here today?” Father Rosario waited a long time for an answer, a practice of patience and of faith, but eventually even he was forced to offer a different kind of patience when Emil remained motionless and silent on the other side of the screen. “He offers forgiveness to all those who seek it. When you are ready, He will be, too.”

Emil cracked a crooked smile, not sure if he found the promise funny or just tragically ironic, but he could recognize a polite farewell when he heard one. Slipping the ring back on his finger, and standing up to leave, he was stopped by Father Rosario. One last question he asked as his professional persona dropped for something more personal. “Emiliano, why don’t you want God’s forgiveness? Is it because you’re not ready to ask for it, or because you’re not ready to receive it?”

Somewhere between a lament and a plea, Emil thought it was the kind of question that would impress him in a game. Brilliant but brutal and cutting close to something important. But he missed by an inch, and so his answer came easily. “It’s because nothing worth anything was ever free.”

Before Father Rosario could refute the claim, the door shut, and the confessional booth was empty once again.

#c: montgomery

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weasley-gal · 5 years ago

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Cindy’s Top Ten Movies of 2019!

Ahhh...2019. In the interest of building suspense, I could be all cagey about this countdown, but let's face it: For me, 2019 was the Year of Rocketman. As lousy as the real-world year was, it was salvaged by Rocketman. Someone suggested in jest (maybe?) that Rocketman should be numbers one through ten on my year-end list, and that would be fair enough; HOWEVER...I did like some other movies this year, so I'm gonna give you--yes YOU, dear reader(s)--ten of my favorites. Just know in your hearts that the other nine fall way behind number one. Way, WAY behind.

The usual disclaimers:

A movie's position on my year-end list does not necessarily reflect its original Weasley score. Some films age well, bear up, and even improve under repeat viewings. Some...well...some do not. Also, I live in a rinky-dink town, so great movies like JoJo Rabbit and 1917--pictures that almost certainly would have found spots here or gotten very close--have not made themselves available to me yet. This is disappointing, but unsurprising. I'd hung my entire holiday break on the prospect of seeing 1917, only to discover on Christmas Day that its Christmas opening was limited release, and I have to wait until January 10th. Humbug. Finally, I think three or four of these movies already made Variety's "worst of" list for 2019, so kindly do not be too shocked when I diverge from The Serious Critics (TM).

Without further ado, presenting my top ten films of 2019:

TEN

"The most important qualification for any leader is not wanting to be leader."

THE TWO POPES

2019 threw me a nice surprise on its way out the celestial door, with the Netflix original The Two Popes. It's a deliberate, thoughtful, and timely film carried by a pair of the year's most exquisite performances: Jonathan Pryce as Pope Francis and Anthony Hopkins as Pope Benedict XVI. While the subject matter is weighty, this movie is an absolute delight.

NINE

"I'm glad I'm a revelation and not a disappointment."

DOWNTON ABBEY

This big-screen adaptation of the popular television series Downton Abbey, is, in fact, something of a revelation. A totally new story in the familiar and much-loved setting, with just the right amount of fan service, it is a joyful exercise that hits nearly every note perfectly. Making its case for the big screen are breathtaking costumes and production design...and Mr. Barrow finally seeing a bit of happiness doesn't hurt, either.

EIGHT

"We're gonna bury Ferrari at Le Mans."

FORD V FERRARI

At a glance, Ford v Ferrari might seem like a film appealing exclusively to car enthusiasts; however, that assumption does a great disservice to both the film and the viewer. Ford v Ferrari is an inspiring story about people. It's a nail-biter from start to finish, it has heart to spare, and it's fronted by great turns from Matt Damon and Christian Bale. Beautifully filmed race action makes this one to see on the biggest screen you can find.

SEVEN

"It always fits...eventually."

SPIDER-MAN: INTO THE SPIDER-VERSE

Technically, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is a last-year movie, but for me it's a this-year movie, and--despite its being the very first film I saw way back in January, 2019--it's far too great to leave off my best-of list. A Marvel property in the hands of Sony, Spider-Verse is smart, funny, touching, and better than the entire Avengers catalog combined.

SIX

"This is a twisted web, and we are not finished untangling it, not yet."

KNIVES OUT

Knives Out is a great piece of original cinema crafted from artful twists, clever humor, and terrific performances, layered with a gorgeous Gothic setting and an ominous score. Written and directed by Rian Johnson, this perfect murder mystery is a huge creative and financial win for the cinema, and I recommend it without hesitation or qualification.

FIVE

"This is the worst...and best...and most terrible...excellent thing that's ever happened to me!"

THE KID WHO WOULD BE KING

Hands up if you missed the Kid Who Would Be King at your local cinema? Yeah, I see you, ALL of you. The good news is that one of the year's most wonderful pictures is now available for streaming and download, and you shouldn't make the same mistake twice. The Kid Who Would Be King is a charming movie, great fun for people of all ages. Truly one of the year's best.

FOUR

"Si vis pacem, para bellum."

JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 3 — PARABELLUM

The John Wick franchise has become quite the phenomenon, and deservedly so. Continually upping the action ante in Fast-and-Furious-like fashion, these movies are so much more than just your garden-variety shoot 'em ups and beat 'em ups. John Wick is the role Keanu Reeves was born to play, and Parabellum raises the stakes for Wick while doubling down on masterful fight choreography and stunning cinematography. Here's to many more adventures for John Wick!

THREE

"Bruce is the direct line to all that's true in this world!"

BLINDED BY THE LIGHT

Blinded by the Light is another terrific picture that didn't exactly set the box office on fire. Inspired by the true story of one Springsteen superfan, and built on the Boss's epic catalog, it's a hopeful tale about overcoming prejudice and the limitations set for us by ourselves and by others, one of the year's most inspiring movies.

TWO

"Tell the truth to everyone, whenever you can."

YESTERDAY

Yesterday is yet another of 2019's under-appreciated gems, a beautiful, unique movie fashioned around the timeless music of the Beatles. Himesh Patel is a delight in the lead, and--while the premise requires suspension of disbelief--Yesterday is a charming picture that captivates with its "what ifs?" as well as its iconic soundtrack and enchanting cast.

ONE

"You were never ordinary."

ROCKETMAN

My number one movie of the year, and of the decade, was set on May 31st, when I saw Rocketman for the first time. I saw the movie at least twice a week as long as it was at my local cinema. I've watched at least part of it every day since it became available for home viewing. Outside of a week or so around each of the wonderful concerts I saw this summer, I've listened to nothing but the Rocketman soundtrack since the end of May. My phone and all my desktops have Rocketman wallpapers. I've joked (hmm?) that I only speak Rocketman now. The truth is, I'm not interested in speaking anything else. Pre-Rocketman, it had been a decade since a new movie made its way into my all-time top ten. Then there was Rocketman. Pre-Rocketman, my favorite acting performance hadn't changed since 1993. Then there was Taron Egerton's astonishing turn as Elton John. Pre-Rocketman, I was finding reasons to stay away from the movies. Then there was Dexter Fletcher showing us the beauty of real imagination. Rocketman is more than just a well-crafted film that reflects on an iconic artist's inspiring life. It is a film that uses Elton John's art to tell his story in fantastic, creative fashion. It is a film that uses exquisite detail in its styling and costumes to further its vision. It is a film that draws something sparkling and new out of a classic discography. It is a film that is not bound by dull, linear timelines or small minds. It is a film that surrounds a performance for the ages with others that bear it up. It is a film that shows, however dark the times, you will find the light. In doing all these things, it is a film that is saving lives. Rocketman is a film that is, in every way, magnificent. Thank you, Dexter Fletcher and company, for giving us this beautiful movie. Whatever the critics say and whoever wins the prizes as Awards Season bears down upon us, nobody has done anything more valuable this cinema year.

A few Honorable (and Dis-Honorable) Mentions:

While Taron Egerton deserves all the awards, all the time, for his work in Rocketman, there were some other performances this year that also gave me life:

Jamie Bell (Rocketman): Without Bell's Bernie Taupin as his stalwart cornerstone, Egerton's Elton could not have flown. It's a lovely, understated performance that has been grossly underappreciated.

Tom Holland (Marvel Cinematic Universe): Holland is a real gem, a standout who consistently steals the show from bigger names who get weightier work in the MCU. No matter how good, bad, or painfully bloated the movie, Holland is an absolute delight.

Renee Zellweger (Judy): Who knew it was even possible for me to stop hating Renee Zellweger? Well played, 2019.

Rebecca Ferguson (The Kid Who Would Be King/Doctor Sleep): There was little I enjoyed more this year than watching Ferguson chew her way through this pair of pictures. Oh, and if I start walking around wearing a hat, don't ask, m-kay?

Chris Evans (Knives Out): God, I love seeing Chris Evans do *anything* besides Captain America. Bonus points if he gets to be funny. He's really funny, despite his obscenely gorgeous mug.

John Boyega/Oscar Isaac (Star Wars: Episode IX — The Rise of Skywalker): These two, individually and together, draw joy out of what's otherwise a fairly mundane exercise. If Finn and Poe somehow jumped to another saga in the Star Wars universe, I wouldn't complain.

The Cast of Jumanji: The Next Level: Top to bottom, a perfectly cast film, and a lesson in how the right actors can elevate any property.

As a matter of interest, if you watch the Irishman and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood back to back, you can effectively calculate how many hours you'll wish you had back when you're on your deathbed.

I would like a word with Gary Oldman's and Sebastian Stan's agents, please.

Cats: Make. It. Stop. Please, just...make it stop.

As this most challenging year winds to a close, I wanted to offer a sincere thank you to everyone who takes the time to read my reviews, and especially those who engage on any of our various platforms. Special thanks to Daniel for allowing me to be a part of his great page, and for tolerating my unceasing randomness. (Hotel Transylvania 4 in 2021, my friend!) I take no one's support for granted, and I’m ever grateful for you all. I wish our readers many blessings as this festive season comes to a close and we roll into 2020. See you at the movies!

#movies #top ten #rocketman #yesterday #blinded by the light #john wick #the kid who would be king #knives out #spider-man #into the spider-verse #ford v ferrari #downton abbey #the two popes

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emptyespada · 5 years ago

Text

UlquiNel drabble ~ taken from Discord

{ Please keep in mind this is copy-pasting long messages from both writers so honestly idk what’s it gonna look like, ONE PARA = ONE MESSAGE FROM ONE MUN }

{ also tagging peeps who wanted to read it @svnshinex @lordsosukeaizen @glacies-tempestatem and the other mun - @raggedyespada }

They said that there was a thin line between love and hate- and perhaps, that was true. Both involved 'caring' for someone. Either caring enough to have the energy to hate them, or caring enough to have the energy to admire them. She fell in the latter category when it came to the Quatro. “During our missions for Aizen, he had always been steadfastly loyal and never... not even once... caused unnecessary damage or bloodshed. Perhaps... he was not as heartless as he thought he was. No. In fact,” she thought, “underneath that loneliness, there lay a lot of love that he possibly longed to offer someone. Or at the very least, he ought to relieve some of that loneliness in her favorite place.” She lifted her eyes over to his, gesturing towards the corner of the library. "This is my favourite place in Las Noches." And one could see why. It was a blank room filled with white shelves- all piled high with an assortment of books. "A book is a type of friend that you can always share your troubles with.... they never judge us, so we should never judge them," Nelliel informed him with a fond smile as she stroked the spine of a book.

Ulquiorra had not seen it coming, the way they agreed, connection, similarities, possible attraction. Nelliel was an Arrancar he spent most of his time lately, started out as missions ordered by superiors, then talking to each other if they happened to be in the same part of the castle, and now there were meetings. Cuatro always found the books to be interesting and a good way to spend free time, if he had any that is. He has never been into the library simply because he was busy with many assignments by Aizen, but now he wasn't so hellbent on fulfilling tasks he didn't need to. He looked around for a bit and then back to Nel, listening to her words carefully. "Interesting way to put it. I assume you're here quite often then?"

Nelliel was here often. Usually she read, even when she was assigned on missions. Especially when these missions involved saving Nnoitra's self. He was always up to mischief . However, it changed when she got more assignments with Ulquiorra. He was calm and usually never tried to fight her. He was a lot better at accepting things that weren't his fault. "Mm... Yeah. I like making friends... But I don't like to fight," she sighed.

Making friends is something Ulquiorra has seen as absolutely futile, but since it was a metaphor for books he let it slip without voicing his attitude. He could understand her about not fighting, he can be violent and gruesome as much as Aizen desires him to be in order to fulfill a mission, but he finds no pleasure in it, it is a duty and nothing more. "It is something that can't be avoided in this world of ours." He said almost casually but there was a hidden meaning behind the statement, something among 'don't disobey Aizen' lines "What is the last book you read?"

Nelliel hated violence. It was something she had been surrounded by all her life and now that she felt like she was above such things, there was no need to take part in anything so uncouth. So... Disgusting. She abhorred threatening behavior. Instead, she enjoyed people using their minds. And she liked Ulquiorra's curiosity. A keen intellect and somehow, she did not think he would remain the cuatro for long. "The happy prince. A statue with rubies and gold and gives all of his things away to make life easier for others. You would like it."

Spending time with Nelliel actually felt quite comfortable, he felt like he could be completely open with her and drop his cold facade for a bit. "If you say so." He shrugged slightly and looked around some more, the place seemed nice- big but comfy and private, he highly doubted any other Arrancar would bother them here. "Is it a book from World of the Living?"

Nelliel offered him a smile, enthusiastic as she spoke of her true love of words from the book of the living. She's laughing at his naivety. "Ulquiorra... The only people that write are those who have stories. And don't you know? Dead people tell no tales." Her eyes are sad and understanding, but her smile is still upon her face. She's pushing a book into his hand now. It's in a different language and she's holding his fingers underneath the book still. "You like the silence and I love these words... Maybe one day we can write a story."

He raised an eyebrow at her laughing at his statement, he didn't understand the reasoning behind it but decided not to question it since by now he learned she had no bad meaning, she was probably just amused by something. He doesn't quite understand the words she's saying, was she implying only humans write? It made him wonder do the Arrancars have anything worth writing down for someone to read. Or perhaps it was the opposite, he could never be 100% sure with Neliel. He accepts the book he's given, gently running his hand over the covers. If she liked it it was probably a good read and worth giving time to. Green eyes move to her again soon, slightly confused at her statement, but instead of asking he just nods a bit. "I can't say I understand, but I would be a liar if I said it doesn't sound interesting "

"Your sincerity is nice, Ulquiorra," she complimented him. Even if he did not understand, the fact that he was trying to- that effort alone- was worth every single word in this library alone. She flashed him another understanding smile and let her fingers leave his hands. He probably could not begin to understand everything that was running through her mind, but it was all fine. After all, didn't they have plenty of time to explore these things? "... Why do you follow me, Ulquiorra?"

"You invited me to come along, I simply thought this would be an entertaining way to spend my time." He shrugs slightly although he has a feeling that's not quite what she meant, but he didn't really feel like answering to it if she made herself clear.

Nelliel nodded. "I did, I think you are.. not as violent as the rest of our kind. I feel like we get along."

"I would agree with that statement." It's not like he had much choice anyway, was he supposed to lie? "I find you a pleasant company unlike others that act with such a disgusting attitude considering their high position." If there is something Ulquiorra is not fond of that is definitely individuals being regraded with respect while they would barely give any to Aizen, trash.

"You are correct. I can't abide by senseless slaughter..." Nelliel glanced over at Ulquiorra. She knew that this was not the norm for their kind. Arrancar sought battle. They sought that glory. "Ulquiorra... what do you seek in life?"

Her question did catch him slightly off guard, though he refused to show it anyhow, and doesn't hesitate to utter an answer almost automatically, like a programmed robot. "My only purpose here is to serve Aizen-sama." If she were anyone less generous than who she was, she would have been crushed by his answer. However, she could only offer him her usual, gentle look. She placed a hand on his cheek, her thumb running down his green estigma lines. "And?"

You could actually pinpoint a moment when Ulquiorra's pupils went wide at the sudden touch. They were on good terms yes, but this... Cuatro isn't comfortable with unnecessary touching in general, but didn't back away, although he could literally feel his blood flow increase its pace by each moment. "There is no an and, I've told you my answer."

"I see..." she breathes out a sigh then and lets her fingers drop from his face. Perhaps she had been foolish to assume that he... held any fondness for her. After all, his devotion was entirely towards Aizen. Nelliel understood it and yet... it did make her feel a little sad. "Well then... I hope you enjoy the book, Ulquiorra. You should have more of a purpose than to serve others. You aren't just made to serve."

He lets out a breath he's been holding for a few moments when her hand was on his cheek. It brought him small relief, though he wasn't exactly glad, when she moved it away. "Aizen-sama created all of us solely for the purpose of assisting him in his goal."

"No... he did not create us, Ulquiorra. You and I existed long before Aizen-Sama came. He assembled us together. Gave us a reason... that is true... but we were here before that," she elaborated with her usual smile.

"We were bloodthirsty beasts before Aizen-sama, Nelliel." He says in a cold voice, probably not the best thing to say but it was a simple truth, they were both Vasto Lordes, Hollows made of thousands of souls and following only their animalistic ways.

"That's true. I am grateful to Aizen-Sama for allowing me to become something other than an animal..." she agreed quietly. "But it does not mean that was our only desire." "But it is our duty, and duty we have towards Aizen-sama is more important than what we might sought for ourselves." He pointed out, not really sure why exactly they would have such a deep discussion. "Is there another answer you want from me?"

Nelliel tilted her head, regarding him with something like curiosity once more. So that was how loyal he was to Aizen, then? His duty... he could not forget it even for a moment, could he? She wouldn't make him uncomfortable and so she shook her head. "No... if it's not in your head, then we don't need an answer. Ulquiorra... I'll protect you."

Protection? What would he need protection from? Did she doubt his abilities and doing it on his own? But it probably wasn't about something physical since she despised violence above all. "I need no protection." His voice is cold and dead, void of any emotion as ever.

Yes. He did. After all, she was stronger than him. Her hands were gentle once more as she held his cheeks. "I will still be on your side."

His eyes widen once again, seriously considering moving away but somehow managed to stay still. The touch felt so foreign, so unknown, something he could simply not comprehend. "Are you implying you would get blood on your hands for me?"

Nelliel caught the look on his face, almost haunted, if only he were capable of feeling that. She was grateful he didn't move away or dismiss her declaration. Instead, she leaned closer, pressing her forehead to his. "What I want to say is that... I won't let anyone hurt you."

Another form of touch occurred once her forehead was leaned against his, and his breath immediately hitched. Why was she doing this? All this, physical affection thing? It was something definitely new to Cuatro, not necessarily bad but definitely weird. He wonders why doesn't he just say the words back, he doesn't mind getting his hands dirty whatsoever if needed, and if there was someone he'd have to protect it would be Nelliel. "Why are you telling me all of this now?"

She knew this sort of closeness wasn't something they shared often. If at all. But now that they were in her safest place in Las Noches, apart from her room, she wanted to let down some of her walls. She also wanted to let Ulquiorra know that he was valuable to her. "Because we are... alike. We don't belong like the rest of the Arrancar... but we do belong here. And we are friends."

Friends? Ulquiorra wouldn't consider what they had between them friendship, not because he didn't care about her or anything alike, it's just that Ulquiorra does not know what being friends exactly is like, how would he know anyway? Anyone could tell any lame-ass definition of it and he'd buy it, but he wasn't too fond of the topic in general, since the only thing he knew about it is that it includes emotion, something that was a big no-no for him. "Where exactly do we belong then, Nelliel?" Sure there was a lot of similarities between specifically two of them and other Arrancar, but is that a reason to isolate from them even more?

"I don't know... " She sighed. This time, she withdrew from him entirely. This was probably too much, too fast. Whilst she desperately needed a friend that was not afraid or disgusted by her... she could not pressure Ulquiorra to become close to her. Even if she longed for it. She stood up gracefully, dusting her uniform and then grinned at him. "You look so serious, Ulquiorra. I am not such a terrible friend, am I?"

The slight relief washes over him once she steps back, even though he just started to get used to the feeling. "You are anything but terrible to me, Nelliel." His tone is barely a shade softer than it had initially been, and someone who hasn't spent much time with him probably wouldn't have noticed. "You, you are a good friend, an only friend." Maybe, just maybe, he would try to see it from her side, and let her show him what that friendship actually is

Whilst she was sad that Ulquiorra had no fraccion to fight beside him, or to even keep him company, she was honored to consider herself one of his friends. And to be acknowledged by Ulquiorra was such a momentous thing that she immediately threw her arms around him in a tight bear hug. "ULQUIORRA?! REALLY?!" She gushed, excited and even squeezed him tighter. "I'm so happy to hear that!"

The hug, especially one of Nelliel's trademark hugs, was definitely unexpected, and he stilled on the spot as though he was petrified. "...Did the protection you mentioned earlier apply to suffocation too?" It felt like she was gripping him with the same force she used to fight. Only after a few moments, slowly but surely, his arms loosely moved to rest on her back, barely touching the surface.

“Ulquiorra is such a funny little thing sometimes.” Nelliel resisted the urge to squeeze him even tighter and instead, nuzzled his cheek with her own. She loved giving out hugs, though most could not handle them. At least he had the strength to even return it. One day, she wondered if he would hug her back? But... to have a friend hug her... it was so good. "O-Oh... sorry, are you... are you okay?" She loosened her hold on him, peering at him in concern. "Ulquiorra?"

The feeling of her cheek on his was such a new territory, and although it definitely lit a certain spark inside him it still felt weird. "I believe I've handled more dangerous situations." He responded to both of her questions with the same answer, although a simple yes would have worked too. "If I may ask, Nelliel, is there a reason for you initiating so much physical contact today?"

Nelliel was beginning to see him with a lot more fondness than she would have had even a few weeks ago. Truly it seemed that with time, she has learned a great deal about Ulquiorra. "Because it's what friends doooo~!" She laughed, taking his hand and twirling under it.

Now a hand, in the name of Aizen, so much weird and unexpected touching for him today. He doesn't know how exactly friendship works, so he can't exactly say that her putting her hand on his cheek or leaning her forehead against his is something people that are more than ‘friends’ do, he just had that feeling. "If you say so, Nelliel." He was almost sure it was more than what just friends do, something he could not prove nor compare to another friendship he had, maybe it was just a hidden and unconscious wish caused by spending so much time with her lately.

Hazel eyes kept meeting him as she faced him after every twirl and finally, she let go of him, just spinning on her lonesome. "You should dance with me some time, Ulquiorra! It's better than fighting!" Unfortunately, when tried to shimmy backwards, she was knocked over a desk and yelped. "Kyaa!!" She fell straight on her back, rubbing her head. "Oww..." Normally, this would not have caused as much embarrassment, except that... for the Tres to suddenly lose her balance... she flushed, grinning again. "Looks like we're all falling for you."

He watched her spin around and couldn't help but get a bit warm feeling inside of him, one he could not describe. It was like he was happy to be seeing her at this very moment, and watching her made him feel somehow... good? Like she had no worries in the whole world, so free and beautiful. "Gomen, I don't dance." She, and he, dancing? It as one of the last things he'd ever imagine himself doing with anyone, and found it weird how the comment was somehow out of the blue. For some reason he couldn't react quick enough to catch her when she fell but immediately moved to her side. "Are you alright?" He asked as he got down on one knee beside her, it was almost unconscious action, he had the natural need to check if she was alright, which she seemed to be except for the deep shade of red on her face. ‘Looks like we're all falling for you’ What was that supposed to mean? Was it because she hit her head? "Perhaps you should lay down on the couch, you are red in face and not exactly talking ordinarily."

Nelliel waved aside his concern and shook her head. She got up on her own and flashed him another smile. Ulquiorra was so clueless, even though she had been making her feelings so obvious. But... she supposed he could not help it. Things like... affection and other feelings, were foreign to the Espada. "Hmm... perhaps I will lay down, hehe, too much dancing?" "...Yes... too much dancing." He mumbled and got lost in his thoughts for a few moments, Nelliel was such an enigma, everything around her happens so fast even her mood was hard to follow, but unlike with other similar situations, he actually wanted to know more. "Here, lay down." He said pointing to one of many sofas in the library and this one was just a few steps away from them. "Would you want me to make you tea?"

He was still nice, despite his... disinterest (?) in her. She supposed just being friends with him was good enough. He was good company and she enjoyed the fact that he wasn't insecure about his strength. He was willing and thoughtful in his own way. They worked well together. She lay down on the sofa that he had pointed out, an arm over her masked head and wondered if there was such a thing as happiness that they could attain. She turned to face him. "I don't want tea... I want to sit with you."

He raised an eyebrow at her request, fining it somehow odd and maybe even attributing it to her fall a few seconds ago, but he believed Espada like her had to get a much harder hit to mess something up in her head. Slowly and carefully, he made his ways towards the sofa and sat beside where her waist was, emerald eyes locking down on hazel ones. "Is there something you wish to discuss with me?"

Ah. He may be oblivious to her feelings, but not to her general sense of self. She still lay on the sofa, glancing at Ulquiorra who had now taken a seat beside her body. She knew she took up a lot of room, but Ulquiorra was still polite enough to sit beside her. She offered him a mild smile. "What do you think of me, Ulquiorra?"

The question wasn't a complete surprise considering her usual act most of the time. Not having to think too much, he answers pretty quickly. "You are someone I, above all, respect as a warrior and superior. I am aware that you have a sharp mind and skills good enough to conquer any nation you want." That's where he stops for a moment, that is Nelliel that is presented to everyone, but there were parts of her she didn't share quite so openly. "I admire your self-control in a battle, you are calm often but I actually do not mind you behaving more care-free when we are alone, and you are only delighting company around here." So, in short, not a trash.

She had heard this spiel before. Great warrior. Excellent fighter. Brilliant strategist. It sounded like Aizen had fed these words to Ulquiorra to regurgitate towards her. Nelliel sighed when he paused. So... she was just a superior to him. She blinked when he continued. Admire? Ulquiorra admired the things that infuriated so many others? That... those flaws of hers that she couldn't hide at all. Nelliel found a soft smile appearing on her face. "Thank you, Ulquiorra. You have a good heart. And my own can't help but relax around yours. Your company... it's so pleasant. I wish I could share it all day and night."

{ mun’s note: IC: I have a good what? }

He was about to deny the existence of the alleged heart but he waited for her to finish speaking and once she did all the thoughts about the heart disappeared from his mind as the realization hit him- what Neliel was doing all along. Was she seeking a relationship with him? Relationship with Cuatro Espada, Ulquiorra Cifer, seemed almost impossible in theory. They were on pretty good terms but this... this was really unexpected, she actually saw something in him worth an effort? Even if she did he certainly didn't, he would have never imagined to be in this situation. Top ranking, and only female, Espada, one everyone feared and admired, and he did hear occasional comments about her hot body here and there, actually wanted something with him? His gaze adverts from hers, mostly down to the rest of her but simply to avoid eye contact. "Don't do that to yourself." He whispered quietly.

Yes. She was. Her hazel eyes waited for the penny to drop and she managed a little smile at his almost-shy response. He did not look... pleased. She supposed she ought to have expected this. No man enjoyed a more powerful woman as a mate. It was lonely in a sense, but... she was a forgiving person. "I like you... but if you are not interested, I will not mention this again, Ulquiorra."

"It's not about that." He responded almost automatically to her ‘not interested’ comment and moved his gaze back to hers. "We are Espada, with a lot of work to concentrate on." It was not an excuse it was just the truth, Ulquiorra treasures his duty to Aizen above everything else, Nelliel has been a distraction, a really pleasant one, so far. He couldn't even imagine how less focused on work he would be. Besides they are so different, she believes in emotion, she believes in the heart. "You could do better than me anyway."

Ulquiorra's gaze was stoic as usual and she could not read him as easily as she could the books in this library. If only... but she could not force him to like or enjoy her presence. She only offered him a mild and kind smile. She knew how important Aizen was to Ulquiorra and would not want to impose. "... I only want you. There is nobody better in my eyes, but I think I have been presumptuous. I'm sorry, Ulquiorra, I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."

Her words echoed in his mind a few times before actually registering them. She actually felt that way about him? Nelliel, in fact, considered him to be the best option for her? Ulquiorra honestly couldn't wrap his mind around it, he never thought anyone would even like him - he was cold, denied the existence of the emotions ( even though it was really hard to keep that stand while with Tres ) keeping mostly to himself, and considered almost everyone trash. Why would someone so kind like Nelliel even show interest in him? They did have common points and he enjoyed her company, so it wasn't weird to assume she liked it as well, but an actual relationship? "I would not be able to give you what you want." He didn't exactly even knew what it was, but it had to include emotions, which he was not capable of. "That is the reason above everything else."

"Do you not feel anything for me?" She inquired, probing him a little more each time. The Espada... the fourth... “he always assumed that he didn't have emotions. That there was nothing inside his empty chest... but that was not possibly true.” She liked his restraint. She was attracted to his mind and his resurrecion was powerful. She believed he had the potential to do a lot more.. and be a lot more. Except... maybe not to her. "I think you forget what I said. What I want is you... but if you cannot be with... a woman who carries my rank... then I understand." No man enjoyed it if the woman under him could defeat him in battle. It hurt their pride. Their attraction... She was glancing back towards him and placed a hand over his cheek. "You are kinder than you think, Ulquiorra."

He froze on the spot at her question, the automatic response would be 'no', because he does not feel, he can't allow himself to, but now... he found the answer to be... pretty hard? Did he enjoy her company? Yes. Would he be opposed to more of it? No. Did he find her attractive? Yes, but physical looks meant next to nothing to him if he wasn't fond of the individual's personality, which was definitely not s case with Nelliel. Was he attracted to her? She seemed to somehow draw him towards her... Even without any effort, just being herself, she awoke this feeling inside of him, a wish to be closer. But was it a real wish or something else? Is that what a feeling is supposed to be? "I... I don't know, Nelliel, but I can't say it's nothing." The truth, wasn't the worst response he could give her, but he was aware she knew him well enough to know that emotions aren't exactly his field of expertise, and won't take it the wrong way. When her rank was mentioned he immediately shook his head his, he didn't want her to assume his thoughts, especially about her. "That is not the case at all. Your power is something I admire about you, I would never see it as a downside of anything." Once her hand was on his cheek he stilled on the spot, he could actually feel his blood race faster through him and he looked down at her, his own hand gently moving over her own. "You are the only one that thinks that, meaning you are either incomprehensibly naive or dangerously intelligent."

“I will take that response,” she replied graciously. At least… it was not nothing. She felt heartened by his admission - it must have taken a lot of courage for him to fight his loyalty towards Aizen, to be used as his tool… and suddenly to come to terms that he felt a friendship towards her. Nelliel was honoured. Ulquiorra’s good opinion was not easy to acquire and yet, he responded positively towards her affections. She wondered and hoped for more of course, but she should not get greedy. He was wonderfully complex… if one took the time to look. To understand. Her lips curved into a gentle smile. “I have been known for being both those things, Ulquiorra Cifer,” she’s glancing up at him still, holding his gaze for a long moment and feeling her throat run dry as his pale hand is upon her tan ones. She can feel the mildest of pink tinges upon her cheeks, fusing with her red estigma. “… ‌I truly like you. Would you like to explore this something you feel with me?”

He more of hoped than expected the response he got, Nel was warm-hearted and understanding. There she is with that smile again, that is one thing he always found somehow weird or incomprehensive about her, how could she smile so much. However a blush on her cheeks is something new, and green orbs narrow for a moment. She was a puzzle, something unknown, he could not know that he was letting himself into. Her question causes his breath to hitch, 'I truly like you', it's like he couldn't completely register that fact, and he takes a good few moments to think about his answers, although no seemed like a logical answer, he couldn't make himself say that. "...Explore how?"

Nelliel smiled around the people she liked. They put her in a consistent good mood - -and Ulquiorra always made her smile. He was thoughtful, considerate... and curious. ‘His curiosity made him gentle’, she thought. A gentle Espada... the thought was almost laughable. Except now she believed that it was true with his gentle fingers over hers. "Ulquiorra..." she's flushed now, not sure how to express it. Her hand is now moving over towards the center of his face and her thumb grazes over his lips. She's glancing away from him now, towards the floor. "I... if it is not something you desire, feel free to say no."

For a moment he focuses on the feeling of her fingers beneath his, and he wonders how long has it been since he touched another individual so delicately, with care and no bad intention. Ulquiorra usually doesn't touch people, that is something he isn't exactly fond of but Nelliel was a whole another story, the feeling was unfamiliar yes, but it didn't have to mean it's bad. His eyes lock on her face again, catching the flush and finding it somehow amusing, how the powerful Tres Espada looked so innocent at the moment. His breathing stops once her thumb moves over to his cold lips, getting whole new sort of feelings to form inside him yet he couldn't make himself express them out loud. "I know when to say no, Nelliel, do what you seem fitting."

She was powerful and with that power, came isolation. The isolation that she did not enjoy because she loved surrounding herself around people. Around other beings. And yet, he was now not shying away from her company as much as he had before. Her gaze slid back to his, she leaned forward, her mask almost crashing into his but she wasn't going to be impulsive. "May I...?" The Espada was now asking for permission, her lips hovering just inches from his.

The tension was growing heavier pretty quickly, with each inch that shrank the distance between them. He knew she wanted to kiss him for a good half a minute now but it's like he just couldn't fully let that fact sink in, that's why he stayed still and didn't react most of the time. Asking for permission wasn't completely unexpected, but he felt like he should do something as well, this way he was giving her a hard time understanding his intentions and wishes, no matter his view of these actions. Slowly, he leaned forward, his lips just gently brushing over hers, not quite yet a kiss, he didn't want to play it too fast, in case she changed her mind or something. Heart racing inside her chest, Nelliel's quietest fears are alleviated by the gentlest, softest brush of his lips against hers. They are dark, but not as cold as she had imagined. She draws him into her warmth and soon, she's kissing him with a lot more urgency than she can quite control. Her lips move softly against his, gentle at first, then coaxing his lips to move against her own. She's tilted her chin to angle it better and has moved her body to pull him closer to herself. "Ulqui...orra...."

For a first second he isn't really sure what to do with himself, did she want him to continue? Was he bad it? Was she reconsidering? About a thousand thoughts crossed through his mind but soon only one remained - how soft and warm Nelliel's lips felt. He expected her to be more of a type for some gentle, slow kiss, which was proved wrong, not that he minded, when notable vigor was added. Her lips do the perfect job of coaxing his own into more movement, and soon he completely surrendered himself to the feeling, allowing his body to move only in a natural way. "Nel..." he whispers her name against her lips between the kisses when he hears his own, his hand slowly, and unconsciously, moves up to gently rest on the side of her waist.

She had always imagined being like this with him. The images came more frequently as of late and suddenly her lips were upon his, inviting and hot as they pried his lips apart. There was no cero, no insults... just warmth and desire as pink tongue slipped out to slide against his lips. She enjoyed his attention, his mysterious beauty and... his hand on her body. Kissing him felt so unbelievably amazing. "Kiss me, Ulquiorra..." she whispered, running her hands down his back.

{ mun’s note: LMAO he WOULD cero someone else if they tried to kiss him XD }

He never imagined, in his Arrancar life that is, that being with another person like this would feel so good, whether it was the fact that this was Nelleil or the pure physical act, although it could be a combination as well. His mouth parts for her instantly once he feels her tongue on his lips, and his grip around her waist tightens a bit, as though she would slip from his arms and disappear if he wasn't kissing and holding her stronger. When he hears her request he has no choice but to oblige, gently sliding his tongue against hers and changing their position in a way her body was being lowered more down on the couch with him moving accordingly above her, lips still locked.

Nelliel had admired him for a while now and she knew that once her desires were met, they would only grow. The fire in her body, at his touch, only continued to roar inside her blood. She was flush against his body and continued to run her tongue against his, exploring the cavern of his mouth until he started responding. He was not completely... naive? She had assumed she would be the one instructing him. Her head met the back of the couch and she sighed, staring at him looming above her, lips against hers and wondered if he would continue kissing her all night. "Don't stop..." she murmured against his lips.

Having her laying down gave him a better angle to kiss her, but made the situation more intense and heated, with him completely above her, their chests pressed against each other's and now he took one of her hands in his, entangling their fingers together and pushing her down into the soft surface a bit more. The feeling of her tongue in his mouth couldn't even be described, it definitely ignited some kind of a spark inside him, something that made him want to do so much more, but that doesn't necessarily mean they will, they are just kissing for the first time after all. His own wet muscle moves against hers, and it's like she is challenging him, tempting him to do more.

With their position switched, she was now finding that she wanted more than just kisses from the Espada, but this... this was all she could ask for. She knew Ulquiorra had trouble expressing himself and so, she would be forgiving. Her eyes closed as his tongue slid against hers and she whimpered his name out, pushing her body against him with urgency. "Ul..Ulquiorra.." she's whimpering his name out as his fingers lace into hers against the back of the couch. He was... everything she was expecting and more. "Mmmh..." He found her whimpering his name to be such a wonderful sound, and moaned her own quietly in return. Her body being pushed up against his brought another new wave of sensation, sent shivers down his spine and made his blood boil at the same time. Their position was really.... convenient now, being so close; their hands conjoined, front parts pressed together, mouths locked on each other's. All of it sparked a question in his mind - did she want more? He did know her well but not exactly the kind to know what she thinks about sex, so he decided not to assume anything and just see how things go. "N-Nelliel..." He mumbled against her lips.

Her cheeks are flushed with every kiss and every slip of his tongue across hers. She's sucking on his lower lip now, grasping at her shirt with the other hand that wasn't holding his. The third Espada was exposed in a way she has not allowed many men. But for Ulquiorra, she would make every exception. She panted his name, feeling her breasts pressed to his chest and ran her soft lips along his neck. Her eyes are clouded over with tender lust as she adjusts their position just so she can untie her costume a little more. She's finally found the zip to the side and turns towards Ulquiorra. "Please... Stay with me tonight?"

The feeling of her sucking on his lower lip was so mind-numbingly good he couldn't even describe it, his eyes closed and every thought from his mind disappeared, he didn't even notice her grasping at her shirt. He found his neck to be more sensitive than his lips, and the new feeling was more intense and sensual. He was almost losing himself in lust and ecstasy but snapped out it when he noticed her adjusting their position and going for the zipper, making him almost completely sure she did want to take this a step further, but he wasn't sure did he as well, even if he did, there was no way in hell that will be in the library. "I will, but not here." Even though chances were very small, someone could still walk in on them.

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awesomesuperherowanted · 6 years ago

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Take a moment

#luimelia, if you don’t know what that is, then I ask why don’t you?

Maybe because,

1. It’s not in English

2. The couple in it are not teenagers

3. There isn’t enough drama around them

4. The show is shot differently from the type of soap operas and dramas we are used to, so we don’t give it a chance

Now I will ask if you can read the following before judging if you want to give this show the time of day.

I would like to point out

Most shows dealing with gay characters have pretty much the same storyline

1. The character who is coming out struggles with being different (angst filled heartache usually ensues)

2. The character/characters have to deal with homophobic people (hate is spewed and we have to relive every fear we have ever had all over again)

3. The character/characters have to deal with being rejected (we get to relive the pain of people not understanding that we are all the same, we just have different preferences)

Basically every storyline has this heartwrenching view, and people have this misguided view that gay people live very sad lives, we are forever fighting the tide and we are constantly at war with ourselves. If not, we are characters who sleep friverously around, and we wind up not amounting to anything.

Amar Es Para Siempre

This show has taken your normal, angst filled gay storyline, and fleshed it out. They have realized that there are more involved if they wanted to give this story proper weight. In doing so, they have found a way to balance the good and the bad, while showcasing what is important… the people.

We have,

1. Grandparents

2. Parents

3. Siblings

4. Family friends

5. Neighbors

6. Society

as well as the gay couple themselves, each of them having their own story and personality so you can see where they are coming from.

Let’s start with the gay characters

Luisita

The free-spirited romantic who is searching for love. We get to see a young woman who is struggling with her identity professionally as well as emotionally. The one thing that has grounded her is the love for her family. This character looks for love in all the wrong places and finally when she is faced with it, she has to decide if this is who she truly is. Once she does, we get to see a woman who isn’t afraid to come out, and isn’t afraid to live her truth. Her convictions are strong and she isn’t ashamed of being gay, she is willing to stand against anyone, including her family if need be.

Amelia

The compassionate, levelheaded, artist who has been exiled by her family because of what she is. We have a character who has felt the pain of being rejected but still has hope that things can change. She has lived through the shame of being different, but it doesn’t sway her from being optimistic that maybe one day her parents will come around. Most characters that fall in this category are jaded and bitter, but Amelia is a breath of fresh air. It shows that you can be kicked several times, but you can still get back up and hope for a better outcome.

Manolita and Marcelino (the parents)

Here are your normal parents, a mom and a dad who just want their kids to be happy, healthy, and to have a place in this world. These two have built a family on love, and that love is seemingly unshakeable. This is tested when they find out that their daughter is gay. For many parents in general, the fear of their child not being accepted or the fear of their child not succeeding is enough to get them to do many things. Most times it pushes them to side with the majority and in turn forces them to do things they wouldn’t normally do. The show does not shy away from this. Their prejudices and fears are on full display, and you get to watch them muddle through what they believe is the right thing to do.

Pelayo and Maria

The grandfather and the sister, both from different times, yet both sure that regardless of what anyone thinks, all that matters is that their loved one is happy. These two are the compassionate side of humanity, the bright spots. They understand that people are different, and eventhough they don’t fully comprehend why Luisita is gay, they fully support her. In doing so, they become her rocks, and don’t we all need something steady to hold onto in the middle of a storm?

Benigna, Ignacio, Natalia, Silvia (the list goes on…)

Now then, the friends who don’t let hate cloud their judgement. Here are the people who don’t see a gay, straight, bi, black, or a white person… all they see is a friend they love. They support them and don’t bat an eye that they are in love with someone of the same sex. We get to see that these people do exist, and we get to see how they keep things balanced in our world.

The neighbors

Amar Es Para Siempre goes a step further by showing us characters who are not hurtful or hateful, but through indifference can be. How, there are people who support us, but don’t at the same time. Seems contradictory, but if you watch you will understand. You can’t mock someone for being gay and then turn around and say oh but I don’t mean you, you’re not like them, I know you.

Society

This show is placed in a time when being gay was illegal. This right here would mean that this storyline would just be one big cry after another, however, they have managed to keep the story from being too heavy. They have struck a balance where you see the social views, and the unfairness of it, but you also see the potential for change, and the light that comes with it.

So after all that, what makes this show different from all the other shows? For most shows, we only get two things from a gay storyline, angst, heartache and a happy ending, or angst, heartache and a sad ending; they pretty much skip everything else. Amar has done something no other show has really done. They have taken the time to treat our couple like any other couple on the show. We have seen our characters, struggle, laugh, cry, and be nervous. We have seen them scared, hurt, unsure as well as confident, happy and flirty. We have seen them at home and at work, interacting with their families as well as with each other. It has gotten to a point where they have become just another couple on this show.

This is why I think it is important for everyone to watch this story. Almost everyone can see a part of themselves in these characters, and if you can relate to any of them, maybe you should give this show a chance.

If you would like to see the english subtitled ones of just the luimelia, here are some links

https://www.dailymotion.com/mr90ish

https://idtobox.com/users/MyOTPs

Check it out and let’s see what you think of them.

#amar es para siempre #antena3 #luisita y amelia #luimelia #luisita gomez #amelia ledesma #gomez family #marcelino gomez #manolita gomez #pelayo gomez #maria gomez #benigna alonso

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cypher-punk-joe · 5 years ago

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History books of the 2120′s

Think for a while about how tribal our grandsons will consider us to be.

This is the first time I write, so try to be kind when criticizing. We imagine people from 1920 to be very humble, honest, hard-working, superstitious. Very limited by the sheer lack of resources and freedom, and some, like the philosophers, scientists, and engineers, to be real genius.

Now, what about us? Are we insane workaholics and warmongers? Are we lazy and ever-revolted teenagers? Will the name of now millions of scientists be of any recognition and applause? Or will just our almost-retarded leaders and uber-greedy bankers and corporate billionaires select what they will read about us?

We are billions of people enjoying more comfort than the emperors of that decade, with almost unlimited access to intellectual material, and struggling to get more everyday. All the simplicity and fragility of the land folk is gone and we find ourselves more depressed and lost, like the oligarchy tales of revolted teenagers that had everything a land worker would never have.

Information is ubiquitous, it’s almost like they are written in the clouds and streamed in rivers, sucked by roots and trees. Just by watching videos and asking the right questions over the networks, today anyone could buy materials and build anything that, at those times, were wonders of technology mastered by a few.

Almost everyone carries a plethora of bureau equipment like pen, paper, mail boxes, cameras, microphones, all-in-one handheld device. In 1948 Orwell wrote about a surveillance state, in which bureau-centered lives fueled the patriotic machine. In 1988 Stasi had bugs in every home of East Germany and communist state enemies vanished or were found dead. Similar information guerrilla and cultural cleansing was conducted all over south america, powered by the USA. In 2018 the Big Data market surpasses the oil market and multiple scandals culminate in the Cambridge Analytica shutdown. Anti-democratic propaganda, engineered to create desinformation and distrust between any consensus group is spread all over telecommunications world-wide. The oligarchy that used patriotic excuses now seeks borderless control, while the dim minded working class now seeks patriotic culture and bigoted values, like it would save them, culture that is dissolving now in the information era.

Due to social inequalities and the growing number of very rich individuals, the number of Private Military Companies skyrocketed last years, and paired with the corporate para-military, comes the corporate intelligence agency: the scaling cyber-sec or info-sec companies protecting against individuals or institutions breaching and accessing each other’s private data over the wires - or so called cyberspace.

The tendency of a Gibson’s Neuromancer tale become half-truth is alarmingly high, as world of mega corporations, sock-puppet democratic representation, ubiquitous inequality, A.I. automated factories, and war are present in an years-long economic crisis of post-capitalism.

War, massacres, and it’s machinery are far from over and have now permeated every part of the modern life. From 1920 to now, even by ignoring the atrocities of the Great Wars, different ethnic groups were systematically murdered and persecuted, by state forces, para-military forces, and simple but hard to eradicate cultural bias - a socially accepted guerrilla warfare consisting in maintaining certain social groups ill-prepared, under equipped and socially rejected, unable to achieve even mediocre success.

All over the continental america and possibly almost all around the world, schools are, for most, war zones of competitors, allies and enemies, drug abuse, bigotry, and, more recently and unfortunately, mass shootings. After surviving it’s horrors at home and in the field, the young realizes later that it was just the drills, a real war-like struggle for all kinds of resources begins. Despite the overall abundance, being an minimally successful person, one needs a lot of success, exponentially more than in 1020. War on drugs extrapolates the violence and number of deaths of many wars combined, while the same utterly unscientific policies are again and again enforced by leaders, pouring more money into domestic and off-shore manslaughter, with not a single win or, more problematic, the investment on drug user’s social care and damage control.

Although religions are in decline world-wide, religious fanaticism in it’s most harmful form is growing around the globe, more and more new religious forks of know doctrines are being created to bring a new face to an ancient known devil. Interestingly enough, religious activities are tax-free and scandals regarding the presumed social services masking child abuse and pornography, human and arms trafficking, and, specially in the third-world, more of that harming ethnic cultural bias including mistreat, incarceration and forced work in allegedly spiritual retires and camps for people in situation of poverty.

To wrap it up, I think that despite of the overall growth towards eradication of famine, fatal diseases, childhood mortality, energy, and illiteracy - like expressed in Diamandis’s Abundance and which should not be taken for granted - it is fair that our grandchildren should paint us with colors as bleak as of the 1920′s, but with greater amount of genius, for the good and the evil.

Our generation was forced to believe in super heroes that single-handedly won battles against much powerful enemies and did it with a smile. But even now the heroes narrative has changed in the current media, because the old ethos is as harmful as fake news. Now that a larger chunk of the world population has the basics, we need sanity - mental health to be able be kind, empathetic, to understand our real enemies and challenges, and to cast light on their shadows.

As a cyber-warrior, fight for transparency in every layer, no more spies that need their names to be protected, no more lies and deception, this is the enemy strategy, and ours is to bluntly uncover the lies and carefully planted misdirections. Institutions must be shaped by the current attendants not authoritarian boards and directors. The future generation needs governments and institutions that are radically more accessible and therefore less corrupt, that they can contribute from their youth.

Fight to push decentralization to the maximum, we can provide a future shaped by human values and leave the utilitarian part of society for machines. I hope the industrial era ends soon and the next generation does not need to fight a war to buy a pretty house and fill it with stuff they don’t really need to live a fulfilling and healthy life.

For the future, believe in society, community, sorority. Like Barbara Sher beautifully said in her Ted Talk: Isolation is the dream killer, not you attitude.

#futurism #cyberwarfare #fakenews #propaganda #1984 #neuromancer #decentralization #opinion #facebook #cambridgeanalytica

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lila-xx · 6 years ago

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December 27

"Ate emcee ka sa 27 ng gabi ha."

After hearing those lines I can't say no. Coz I know how it feels to organize such programs. And I'm telling you, its not that easy. Cooperation and communication is really the key.

Days passed.

I served as one of the sports committee of our street. Four teams that plays to get the trophy. Though sometimes I'm not in a good mood, I still try to go and be a sports committee.

Time flies and December 27 came.

Early morning, the officers went to our house to seek some help making sashes and banners. I spent my time painting, cutting and pasting in the stage.

I looked devastated, I know. Haha I even find myself scolding them because they are cramming and imagine last minute of making.

But still we finished it.

Night came.

Night full of fab and glamour.

I was wearing a simple black dress with different shades of pastel peach and pink on its skirt part. I put some accesories. I started to put some masscara and a little lip tint and some cheek tints. Since I don't like to wear heels, I decided to wear my flat shoes so I can move freely without thinking all the aches.

So many dashing mens and beautiful womens were all at the dancefloor. Dancing, swaying and feeling the beat of the sweet music.

Then suddenly I was being asked by a man I didn't know under the dark lights and only colored lights are glowing that are moving circularly.

While he leads to me dance, he asked my age which I say "19" in return.

"Mas matanda pa pala ako sayo. I'm 23" he said with a small smile on his face.

While dancing, he kept asking, "Okay lang ba na isayaw kita?" " Sure ka walang magagalit"

"Oo naman okay lang noh. Tsaka wala namang magagalit.", I said.

We told each other's names in the middle of dancing.

You know what, to tell you frankly, my heart beats abnormally and I don't know why. And I feel like I'm a little bit shy. Shy? Why?

That moment, I do not understand myself anymore.

His touch on my waist was warm and feels like electric all over my body. I can't even look him in the eye. Jeez! What's happening to me.

He kept talking and talking.

He is a CPA and working at Ayala, Makati.

He was originally from Pampanga, that concludes that he is a Kapampangan.

His biological father lives at the next barangay. He just came to Pangasinan to pay some visit to his relatives.

Also, I told him where I study, what degree I was taking, what year and other college stuffs.

Suddenly, he stopped, hold my arms and asked again, "Sure ka walang magagalit?"

"Wala nga", I said as a reply. But I feel like I'm blushing. Like heat was traveling all over my face. Something that I can't hide coz I see him smile a lil bit.

"Bakit di mo ko matignan sa mata?"

And that's it, somewhat I froze and I don't know what to say.

"Ha? Kailangan ba ganon? Tsaka parang nahihiya ako" I said out of nowhere. Playin hard to get. Haha! Coz I can feel the heat on my face.

Then, somewhat he asked for my number.

That moment, my mind processed properly.

"Uhm, to be honest. Di ko alam kung ibibigay ko." That moment he made me look to his eye. He cupped my face touching my long curly hair. Then his hold was back to my waist. Seeing each other on the eye. He said, "Bakit naman? Dahil mukha akong fuckboy?"

He felt sad and I felt that. Angels and demons was raging in my mind.

Part of me was saying, "Give it to him, there's nothing wrong with that"

Another was, "Huwag" and there no any other explanation just huwag.

But the truth is, we were in the middle of the dancefloor, and people is watching at us. If anyone of us pull out our cellphonesand typing in it, it looks like were exchanging numbers and people will think badly of ourselves. I thought that some would say easy to get, and I don't want that.

"Hindi naman ah. Atsaka para sabihin sayo yung totoo di ko talaga alam kung ibibigay ko" what a lame excuse. What a lame sentence. How lame!

"Iadd mo na lang ako sa FB. Chat mo na kang ako", I said.

"Okay sige, ano pangalan mo sa fb?"

I said what's my name and other details.

He later on said that, "Mejo uminom ako, pampatapang lang tsaka nag-aya kasi sila kanina."

"Okay lang yun noh. Basta igalang mo pa rin mga girls na isasayaw mo rito. Importante yon."

"Yes, Ma'am." He said in return. I chuckle and said, "Di pa naman ako teacher ah."

"Papunta ka na rin don" he said.

"Pinepressure mo naman ako sa board exam."

"Kaya mo yan. Ako nga pumasa eh. Tiwala ka lang" somewhat I was cheered with what he said.

For the third time, he asked again holding my arms that makes me look into his eye, "Sure ka walang magagalit?"

And for the third time I answered, "Wala nga. Unless may gawin kang masama sakin dito. Nakapalibot lang jan mga pinsan kong lalaki at tito ko."

"Huh? Bantay sarado ka pala."

"Hindi. Haha. Parang ganon na rin. Jan lang kasi sa tabi yung bahay nila, kaya I'm sure nanonood yung mga iyon."

It feels comfortable talking to him. I started to think that he'll forget me by tomorrow, coz he's a lil bit, very little drunk.

From that dance, I was looking for him in the dark. Just a lil glance pretending that I was looking to the crowd.

Sometimes I caught him seeing. Which in turn I feel a lil bit embarrassed.

What's happening to me? Seriously? I look like an idiot.

Why?

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inclusivelanguageblr-blog · 6 years ago

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Inclusive Language

Justicia para todos, reads a sign hanging from a bridge in Mexico City. The black <o> from todos has been crossed with red, and above it there is a scribbled <x>. Todxs. The same word that has been taking social media, especially Twitter, by storm on the last few months. Hispanic people from across the world seem to have something to say regarding this grammatical, and social, issue. The truth is, most people wouldn’t normally bat an eye at some badly written street signs. But it’s different this time. Swapping the <o> for an <x> is part of a trend called Lenguage Inclusivo, or Inclusive Language, a trend set of freeing nouns of their gender by replacing the vocals <a> (used for feminine words) and <o> (used for masculine words) by neutrals such as <e>, <x>, or even <@>. This has angered linguists, but teens and young adults continue to stubbornly plaster the words across billboards and social media. It is a rightful fight. Language helps us understand the world, and language cannot remain static in the face of accelerated progress towards social equality. Gendered nouns no longer encompass our reality, and therefore the language must be adapted to the needs of those who use it.

Inclusive language has defenders and detractors across Hispanic countries such as Spain, Colombia, Chile, Perú, Uruguay, and Venezuela. The phenomenon of de-gendering the language has been registered, however, in other languages. Santiago Kalinowski, director of the Department of Linguistic Investigations of the Argentinian Academy of Letters, pointed to the Swedish Academy which introduced to its glossary the neutral pronoun “hen”. On the other side of the spectrum, a French school manual that integrated inclusive language into its writing sparked a prohibition on inclusive language in all official texts back on 2017. The decision of the Swede government to adapt the dictionary to the needs of the people comes to show that inclusive language is a doable reality, even if some other countries, such as France, are still resisting the change.

The push for a non-sexist language is nothing new. Dora Barrancos, Argentinian sociologist and militant feminist notes that since the beginning of the second wave of feminism in the 60´s there has been an interest in eliminating sexism from the language. She explains: “Language denotes us as people, therefore correcting the language to eliminate the male default is an incredibly important task in order to have equality between the sexes.” Language is a crucial component of our lives: it ties us to a culture, a time, and a place.

The biggest defenders of Inclusive Language are people under 26, young writers and artists who argue that a gendered language does no longer reflect our reality. Oscar Conde, Doctor of Literature and member of the Porteña Academy of Lunfardo, explains that its people under the age of 25 that make up nearly ninety nine percent of words. “Teenagers have naturalized inclusive language and that is understood due to the unprejudiced way they live sexuality in. For them, it’s not about males or females but about people. And we must be willing to incorporate this into our language,” he says. After all, if teenagers modify the language, it will be passed down to the generations to come.

Changing a language to fit current events will always be met with backlash from those who came before, tied to a different time. Real Academia Española (RAE), a cultural institution based on Madrid is dedicated to regulating the language by publishing norms which strive to unify the different variations of it. When the debate around inclusive language grew, this institution took to twitter to clearly express their disapproval of the trend. Through several tweets, they have consistently explained why there is absolutely no need to change the language. Most notably, the tweet that reads: “The use of @ or of the letters <E> and <x> as supposed marks of the inclusive gender are alien to the morphology of Spanish, as well as unnecessary, since the grammatical male gendering already fulfills the function of a non-gendered denominator.” Inclusive language poses a threat to the very core of the language, which is its masculine default. Linguists and Spanish enthusiasts alike praised the institution.

The forms of discrimination towards women in grammar and dictionaries have been multiple. The director of RAE, Darío Villanueva, said in an interview with El País that the problem lays in confusing grammar with misogyny. He also qualifies political correctness as a perverse form of censorship, and he complains about how determined groups demand that RAE retires several definitions from the dictionary. “If the words are there, it’s because people use them. The problem would be creating a dictionary made up of only pretty words. Words are also used to be a scoundrel,” Villanueva stated. Statements such as this one has been used by opposers of inclusive language, who fail to realize that the claims made by feminists and youths are not unfounded. Until 2014, the RAE defined the verb gozar (to enjoy) as “To know a woman carnally.” Currently it has been modified as “To have sexual intercourse with another.” This way, misogyny is avoided, and different sexual orientations are included, showing that language can and should be adapted to the demands of those who use it.

It is a well-known fact that language shapes the way we interact with the world. A study conducted by Standford researchers, How Language Affects Thought in a Connectionist Model, highlights the fact that being a native speaker of a gendered language does affect the way we connect with our environment. In the English language, only people are referred to with he and she while nouns are without gender. However, in languages such as German and Spanish all nouns are gendered including those that refer to objects. An experiment conducted by Boroditsky et al. (2003) studied native Spanish and German speakers, asking the participants to describe an object using only three adjectives. The objects they were describing were male coded in Spanish and female coded in German, and this difference was highlighted in the words chosen by the participants to describe the objects. For instance, the word for ‘key’ is feminine in Spanish and masculine in German, and the subjects whose native tongue is Spanish chose feminine adjectives as opposed to the German subjects. The perceptions we gain from our native language transcend even when we speak a different, gender neutral language such as English. This study proves that changing our language will change our minds, giving us a broader understanding of things once we are free from the boundaries of gender and its conceptions.

Language is one of the means by which the conception of the world in which we live is transmitted and it is also a social element that allows us to interact daily with others. It can be permeated by cultural biases that maintain discriminatory ideals, such as the one directed towards women by minimizing them, making them invisible by taking men as a measure of things. For example, when masculinizing professions and trades, or by the generic use of the masculine when talking about both women and men. The trend started by feminists back in the sixties has resonated within today’s youth, and they have decided to take matters into their own hands, to revolutionize the language that their parents and grandparents failed to change. No number of linguists, angry twitter users, or mocking teachers can stop the tidal wave of youthful determination. Amid such backlash, young writers have been slowly and steadily introduced their ideas into the mainstream, and it’s only a matter of time before we all find ourselves changing our <o> for a new, neutral <e>.

#text

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cmmax2 · 3 years ago

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As I approach the halfway point of year 30 on earth, I can’t help but feel as though it’s been among the most significant. Part of that feeling stems from realizations that joy can come out of pain. Living through some of the most grief filled and difficult global situations in recent history has put so much into perspective. Purpose feels lofty. I’ve rightsized my expectations for myself, an aspiration to live as as truthfully and fully as I can.

Maybe the human experience is more about the simplicity of being authentic, grounded and connected to your needs and the needs of the community you are a part of. Why have my happiest moments been found as I walk Peter around the neighborhood with breaks to marvel at the transition of the leaves? I find myself overwhelmed with contentment as my friend’s kids giggle and discover things I’ve taken for granted. Singing, poorly and loudly as I drive to Virginia, the monuments completely lit up at night, I feel like I’m experiencing it for the first time despite it being a continual backdrop for years on end. Hanging up pictures for a gallery wall, I am fulfilled by the slightly crooked positioning of my labor, and the understanding that even with my nail and hammer, nothing is permanent. There is room to change, grow, and evolve. Staring at pictures of my favorite memories and art I’ve selected myself (with major appreciation for the artists- side note: please buy local when you can and please celebrate our working artists!) everyday as I watch tv, listen to music or do work at my desk is an achievement I didn’t understand till now was worth celebrating. I’m struck by the power of making choices for ourselves and also the comedy that so much of who we are is already baked in, in front of us and awaiting our discovery and celebration.

Taking a beach trip for my birthday this past summer felt impulsive, but as I stood at the the periphery of the ocean, the waves and my surrounding dimmed till all that was left was the repetitive thrashing of the water and a calming silence. My eyes brimmed slightly with tears and I was completely washed over with amazement and joy. It was something spiritual, something so immensely outstanding, vast and constant. It’s like it’d been waiting there for me till I was ready to accept its gift. It’s something that exists for everyone, in a scope beyond our understanding. It’s beyond taming or controlling - a body we’ve abused for years and yet still, she waits for us. It might seem ridiculous to find such solace in nature (though I suppose I would hardly be the first…or the millionth), but now in moments of chaos I find myself fantasizing about a life by the ocean.

As I unpack what joy looks like for me, I’ve begun to accept that it doesn’t come without effort and patience. Joy doesn’t exist in a straight line. Maybe it even comes as a counterpart to our resilience and investment in self. I used to thing living authentically entailed major declarations, labels, perfection and the like. I’ve come to realize that being yourself is the bravest thing you can do not because it is one singular acceptance, but because it is microscopic and life long acceptances. So I enter a phase of learning to truly love myself, over and over again, of knowing that internal validation is a far better fuel than the fickle external markers I have come to rely on. Easier said than done, but having a guiding star in the sky has provided additional comfort. There are days where it feels like I’ve reverted to old habits, old thought patterns, and unhelpful ways of being - and on those days, I try to lead with kindness and compassion for myself. Again, easier said than done.

We now live in a world more curated than ever. The question of what exists as truthful interaction, and what is performative (or even para-social) is plaguing. (Is tagging annoying? Do i post too much? Too little? Should i delete my phone??? Maybe i should just…breathe) Scrolling through social media and seeing the image of others and the world around us that have varying levels of truth and reality, i wonder if similarly to my 2021 sisyphean gallery wall project, joy comes from how we choose to surround ourselves. Do we blanket ourselves in the things we truly love, or do we create and project what we think people want to see? Do we take the few seconds to remember how much love is around us? Do we remind ourselves that even in our experiments and failures, we can consider ourselves the lucky ones - able to return to the people and things we love and who love us back? It all sounds incredibly trite, but I have to wonder if the cliche I’ve always run from is born from a universal and simple truth of honesty and self-investment reaping joys that can’t be found in our wallets or on LinkedIn or even in the words of the people closest to us. I’m sure the back half of 30 will come with additional insight, but for now, as I write this with my dog sleeping on my right and my coffee on my left, I think I might be exactly where I’m supposed to be.

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dfroza · 3 years ago

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some people judge others hypocritically.

and some judge righteously. there is a difference here.

in Today’s reading Paul points to those who judge others but then do the very things they criticize.

what we think and believe and write and speak really does matter. just as the things we do.

Today’s reading of the Scriptures from the New Testament is the 2nd chapter of the Letter of Romans:

So you can see there are no excuses for any of us. If your eyes shift their focus from yourselves to others—to judge how they are doing—you have already condemned yourselves! You don’t realize that you are pointing your fingers at others for the exact things you do as well. There’s no doubt that the judgment of God will justly fall upon hypocrites who practice such things. Here’s what is happening: you attack and criticize others and then turn around to commit the same offenses yourselves! Do you think you will somehow dodge God’s judgment? Do you take the kindness of God for granted? Do you see His patience and tolerance as signs that He is a pushover when it comes to sin? How could you not know that His kindness is guiding our hearts to turn away from distractions and habitual sin to walk a new path?

But because your heart is obstinate and shameless, you’re storing up wrath that will count against you. On the day of His choosing, God’s wrath and judgment will be unleashed to make things right. As it goes, everyone will receive what his actions in life have cultivated. Whoever has labored diligently and patiently to do what is right—seeking glory, honor, and immortality—God will grant him endless joy in life eternal. But selfish individuals who make trouble, resist the truth, or sell out to wickedness will meet a very different fate—they will find fury and indignation as the fruit of living in the wrong. Suffering and pain await everyone whose life is marked by evil living (first for the Jew, and next for the non-Jew). But if you do what is right, you will receive glory, admiration, and peace (again, first for the Jew, then for the non-Jew). God has no favorites.

If one lives life without knowledge of the law—the teachings of the Torah—he will sin and die apart from the law. If someone else lives life under the law, his sin will be judged by what the law teaches. Here’s my point: just because a person hears the law read or recited does not mean he is right before the one True God; it is following the law that makes one right, not just hearing it. For instance, some outsiders who are not required to follow the law often live quite naturally by its teachings. Even though the law wasn’t given to them, in themselves they have the law. Here’s the thing: their lives demonstrate that God has inscribed the law’s teachings on their hearts. On judgment day, their consciences will testify for them, and their thoughts will both accuse and defend them. This good news given to me declares that this affirmation and accusation will take place on that day when God, through Jesus, the Anointed One, judges every person’s life secrets.

Listen, if you claim to be a Jew, count on the law, and boast in your relationship with God; if you know His will and can determine what is essential (because you have been instructed in the law); and if you stand convinced that you are chosen to be a guide to the blind, a light to those who live in darkness, a teacher of foolish wanderers and children, and have in the law what is essentially the form of knowledge and truth— then tell me, why don’t you practice what you preach? If you are going to sermonize against stealing, then stop stealing. If you are going to teach others not to commit adultery, then be completely faithful to your spouse. If you hate idolatry, then stop robbing the temples! If you pride yourself in having God’s law, then stop dishonoring God by failing to keep its teaching. Here’s what it says: “Because of you, God’s reputation is slandered by those outside the covenant.”

You see, circumcision is of value only if you keep the law’s teachings. But if you keep breaking God’s rules, you are no different than those without the mark. So if an uncircumcised man abides by God’s just precepts, doesn’t that make his standing before God the same as one who is circumcised? The man who is physically uncircumcised but still keeps the law, he will stand in judgment over the person who is circumcised and yet continually breaks God’s law. A mark that is evident doesn’t necessarily make one a Jew, and circumcision that is evident only in the flesh is not true. But the true Jew is Jewish on the inside—in secret places no one but God can see—and true circumcision involves the heart; it comes from the Spirit, not from some written code. The praise and reputation of that kind of Jew come from God, not from man.

The Letter of Romans, Chapter 2 (The Voice)

Today’s paired chapter of the Testaments is the 21st chapter of the book (scroll) of Isaiah that continues with prophetic messages:

A message about the Sea of Wilderness (Babylon):

From the desert, from a frightening land it comes

like a raging tempest, a sandstorm in the Negev.

A vision most harsh came to me:

The deceiver deceives,

and the abuser abuses.

Get up and go, Elam;

and Media, cut off supplies!

All groaning will cease; I’ve put an end to the sounds of misery.

My stomach sinks. My gut churns with pain.

As a woman in labor wrenches and writhes, I can hardly bear the news.

I cannot hear because I’m bent over with agony.

I cannot see because I’m deep in the fog of depression.

My heart skips a beat; my mind is buzzing, terribly unsettled.

Horror and trembling rattle the serenity of the evening I longed for.

Meanwhile, the ones who are in charge

are spreading out a feast, eating and drinking just like normal.

I want to say to them:

“Get up, officers.

Oil your shields, and be prepared!”

Because the Eternal has told me,

Eternal One: Get someone to keep an eye on things.

Have him report whatever he sees.

Tell him to watch closely for riders on teams of horses, donkeys, and camels.

If he sees them, put him on full alert.

Sentinel: I stand guard at the watchtower, Lord, day after day.

I never leave my post during the night.

Look! They’re coming just as you said: a chariot driver and a team of horses.

The driver tells me “Babylon is fallen!

Our oppressor has fallen and all their idols,

worthless imposters of the one True God, are shattered on the ground.”

O, my people, who have been threshed and winnowed like wheat,

I am telling you what the Eternal, Commander of heavenly armies, Israel’s God, said.

A message about Duma:

Someone is calling me from Seir.

Edomite (to a sentinel): How much remains of this night?

How long until morning?

Sentinel: Morning is coming, you can be sure of it.

But night will quickly follow.

If you want to know, then check back later.

A message about Arabia:

Spend the night in the forests of Arabia, off the beaten path,

O caravans from Dedan.

Hey, people of Tema, bring them supplies,

water for the thirsty and food for the refugees.

They’re on the run, refugees tired of war,

trying to escape the edge of the sword, the bent bow,

And the imminent threat of battle.

Eternal One (to Isaiah): Within a year—as a hired hand might count it—Kedar will be finished. All that made it so impressive will crumble. As for its archers and mighty warriors, they will all but disappear.

It will happen because the Eternal, the God of Israel, said so.

The Book (Scroll) of Isaiah, Chapter 21 (The Voice)

A link to my personal reading of the Scriptures for Tuesday, june 29 of 2021 with a paired chapter from each Testament of the Bible along with Today’s Proverbs and Psalms

A post by John Parsons that looks at double-mindedness as opposed to a sound mind:

“Ambivalence” has been defined as wanting two different and opposing things at the same time, and therefore is a state of inner conflict or contradiction... For example, we may want to be kind and loving toward someone who has hurt us, yet we also may harbor resentment or seek revenge; or we may want to abstain from a forbidden pleasure, yet we find ourselves inwardly hungering for it anyway. Whenever we feel pulled in two different directions or have mixed feelings, we are being called near to God to find help....

King David said, "I hate double-mindedness, but I love your Torah" (Psalm 119:113). Note that the word "double-mindedness" (סֵעֲפִים) is translated as παρανόμους (para+nomos) in the LXX, literally, “one who reasons around the Torah,” that is, a lawless person quick to excuse himself from the demands and truth of God’s moral will and authority... Some translations render this word as “frivolous-minded,” “light-minded,” or “vain,” though the Hebrew word comes from a root (סעף) that means to split or to divide, fork-like, like branches of trees waved with the wind to and fro (compare James 1:8-9; 4:8; 1 Kings 18:21). “Double-mindedness” therefore seems to be a fair translation in English.

The contrast is between ambivalence, or being “two-souled” (δίψυχος), and the desire for the truth of God’s Torah that unifies the soul. To be undivided, wholehearted, pure of heart, and so on, means to abhor all fantasies of imagination or thought that lead us away from the Divine Presence. “Take every thought captive” (2 Cor. 10:5). We must always be on guard lest we be seduced from our heart’s focus and direction (Heb. 4:1).

Consider temptation to be a "rabbit hole" that leads to discovery about what you really need. Take your temptation to the LORD and ask Him to fill the void, to strengthen your heart, to heal the inner divide, and so on. He already knows what's happening within your adulterous heart, so come before Him boldly to find healing and help (Heb 4:16). "God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power and of love, and of a "sound mind" (σωφρονισμός), literally, a "delivered" mind, "healed" from fragmentation (2 Tim. 1:7). The Greek word "sound mind" (σωφρονισμός) comes from the verb sodzo (σῴζω), meaning "to save," from saos (σάος) "safe," in the sense of being under restraining influence of the Spirit of God... [Hebrew for Christians]

and another about True identity:

I mentioned recently that our own evil inclination, the "yetzer hara," needs to be acknowledged so that we may find inner peace... Often our true motives are hidden - even from ourselves - so that we are unaware of how we are controlled by them. For example, if we harbor an unacknowledged hunger to find approval and validation from other people, we may lose sight of God Himself (Gal. 1:10). The enemy within is usually in hiding, and we need special wisdom from God not to be ruled by fear, anger, and so on. It has been said that “we are only as sick as the secrets we keep,” though the secrets we keep from ourselves are surely the most dangerous.

"If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat, and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink, for you will heap burning coals on his head, and the LORD will reward you" (Prov. 25:21-22). Some of the sages have said that the "enemy" here refers to the yetzer hara, the "evil impulse," and that by proactively attending to the inner emptiness and neediness we sometimes feel - by feeding ourselves the "bread of Torah" and the "water of the Spirit" - we will overcome the evil with good (Rom. 12:21). If you feel yourself lacking, the evil impulse will offer to fill the void. The only defense against inner emptiness is to be filled with the Spirit of God. Study the truth of Scripture, pray, develop hakarat hatov (gratitude), and perform acts of gemilut chassidim. Overcome the evil impulse with good. The LORD will see to it that your cup will overflow in the presence of your enemy (Psalm 23:5). Thus it is written, "From my enemies You teach me wisdom in doing your commandments" (Psalm 119:98), meaning that the yetzer hara can teach us if we submit to God's will... Therefore Yeshua said, "Be wise as serpents but harmless as doves" (Matt. 10:16).

The essence of sin is unbelief. Sin is not so much disobedience to an external code of behavior as much as it is abandoning your trust, your identity, and your hope as a beloved child of God. As you believe so you will behave, and as you behave so you believe... Therefore one of the greatest of sins is to forget the truth of who you really are – a prince or princess of God! The great temptation of sin is rooted in the lie that we are unworthy people, that God does not really loves us (just the way we are), that He is disappointed in us, and so on. This perspicacious quote by the late Henri Nouwen speaks to my heart:

Over the years, I have come to realize that the greatest trap in our life is not success, popularity, or power, but self-rejection.... Success, popularity, and power can indeed present a great temptation, but their seductive quality often comes from the way they are part of the much larger temptation to self-rejection. When we have come to believe in the voices that call us worthless and unlovable, then success, popularity, and power are easily perceived as attractive solutions. The real trap, however, is self-rejection. As soon as someone accuses me or criticizes me, as soon as I am rejected, left alone, or abandoned, I find myself thinking, "Well, that proves once again that I am a nobody." ... [My dark side says,] I am no good... I deserve to be pushed aside, forgotten, rejected, and abandoned. Self-rejection is the greatest enemy of the spiritual life because it contradicts the sacred voice that calls us the "Beloved." Being the Beloved constitutes the core truth of our existence.”

Ultimately sin seduces people to destroy themselves, since it first of all seeks to disown, impugn, and reject what is most important for spiritual life. The devil seeks to murder and destroy all that we need to be eternally healed... And though we might want to escape from this conflict (or to pretend that it’s not really here), the battle is intractably real and must be fully engaged until our redemption is complete (1 Pet. 5:8-9). Meanwhile, spiritual struggles can be downright ugly. Would any one deny that the cross of Messiah was a sacred space - and yet it was precisely from there, from the place of blood and suffering and pain and terror, that the grace, beauty, and strength of God for us would shine forth.

To effectively combat the devil, let us first of all pray to the LORD God Almighty and ask for His power, wisdom, and grace to deal with the evil one's devices and strategies used against us (Eph. 6:11-18; Rom. 13:12, 1 Thess. 5:8; 2 Cor. 10:4-5). Since we are not to be ignorant of the devil and his devices (2 Cor. 2:11), let us particularly ask God to remind us of who we really are in the Messiah, and to give us the power of the Holy Spirit to genuine walk in the truth of our sacred identity. Let’s ask God to help us practically apply the victory given to us in the resurrection of Yeshua. With God's help, may we be bold to take our place at His banqueting table, assured that we are indeed His dear children. Shalom. [Hebrew for Christians]

6.29.21 • Facebook

Today’s message (Days of Praise) from the Institute for Creation Research

June 29, 2021

Doing God's Pleasure

“Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.” (Philippians 2:12-13)

In this passage with an unusual play on words, we are told to give our salvation a “workout.” The Greek word is katergazomai, an interesting compound word that means to “perform.” When we are told that God is working in us, the Greek word is energeô, which is the “energy” to do work.

Paul puts it this way: “Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh [energeô] in us” (Ephesians 3:20). This “energizing” is an internal and spiritual resource, demonstrated most poignantly by “the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working [energeô] of his mighty power, Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead” (Ephesians 1:19-20). Since the energy to produce comes from the same Creator who saved us by grace, He has every right to expect us to “will and to do of his good pleasure.”

Peter taught us that God provided “all things that pertain unto life and godliness” (2 Peter 1:3). The Thessalonican church was told that “the word of God...effectually worketh also in you that believe” (1 Thessalonians 2:13). And of course, “all scripture...is profitable....That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works” (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

Our objective, having been supernaturally supplied by the One who saved us, is to “walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness” (Colossians 1:10-11). HMM III

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grace-full-life · 3 years ago

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Life Currently

Flex ko lang si Tuo. Haha! Sooo pretty and fierce. ❤️

Photo was sent by my parents and I miss them already!

One of the many things na ni-made sure ko after my resignation was to sched a vacation with them. Isa sa mga dahilan why I resigned is to have more time with my family. When my lola passed away, mas narealize ko yung importance ng presence natin para sa mga mahal natin sa buhay. I wish I had more time with her pero narealize ko din that I should be thankful kasi hindi lahat my chance na lumaki with their lolo/lola. Kaya while we are temporarily separated, sobrang thankful ko na that God gave me 27 years with her. I miss her sooo much. Every achievement and event no matter how small, lagi siyang present, parang package siya ng mama ko eh. Haha! As simple as bagong lipat kami ng house, normally I would invite them to see the new unit tapos my lola would happily oblige kasi makakalakwatsa sya hehe and happy din ako kasi yan mga opportunity ko na ipasyal, makabond and i-treat sila. Or if andito pa siya, for sure siya and lolo would come and check yung store ni J tapos ikkwento niya sa mga kapatid niya haha chikadora yarn?! Lagi namin siya pinagsasabihan na wag siya masyado madaldal sa mga happenings namin pero lola is lola. Makulit. Haha! They are very supportive, my parents and grandparents. Hindi lang moral support, they always make sure na present sila. For example lang last week when we’re expecting AC installation, alam ng parents ko na di makakastay sa house si J kasi need siya sa store, that would leave me alone with the third party na magiinstall ng AC. Though safe naman in general kasi may guard and cctv naman, tapos yung admin ng building was also hands-on magmonitor, my parents still came to accompany me. Huhu. I love them sooo much. I praise God for their good example of being present parents and for loving in deed and not just in words.

I am very grateful for having more time with my family. But if meron lang makabasa nito na someone, esp young adult who is also currently thinking about resigning, pag-isipan and i-weigh ng mabuti oki. We have prayed, planned and thought about it for a long time because reality check lang haha while I have more time and peace of mind kasi I no longer have an 8 to 5 na work, syempre may cost yon: my salary. Haha! I gave that up. I saved para if may want ako bilhin for myself I don’t have to ask from my husband haha. Now that I’m officially jobless 🤣 I also prepared myself for the need to change our lifestyle since ako in charge magmanage sa household needs. I’m just saying na every decision has a consequence. While I’m very thankful kasi i really wanted this, gusto ko lang din maging real about it na di din siya perfect. Iba-iba tayo ng directions and dreams eh kaya always be mindful sa pagde-decide. Consider ano ba talaga yung gusto mo at ano ba yung best for you okaaay :D

For now di ko pa alam if when ako babalik sa corporate or if I’ll ever go back. I’m very much content here just savoring the “now” muna. And for what’s next for me, I really try not to overthink or worry and just choose to be at rest by continually entrusting all our plans and future kay God. There are some days na it’s not easy to be trusting kay Lord pero grace lang talaga. If in doubt, mas lalo mo Siyang i-seek, and babad sa word Niya para mas nadidinig mo din yung voice ni Lord and hindi voice ng enemy. Sobrang sipag and wise ng devil maglagay ng lies sa minds natin e, sa araw-araw palang na nakikita natin sa social media/movies/series, ang dami ng kung ano-anong bagay na nafi-feed sa minds natin. May mga influencers/socmed personalities na iba-iba ng views sa life, may mga wise and cool pakinggan pero again, pag ni-reality check, hindi lahat totoong beneficial para satin. We follow them or we browse our socmed for entertainment, to kill time or to catch up sa mga balita but if di tayo careful, makakapick-up talaga tayo ng mga views na akala natin tama, but ili-lead pala tayo sa destruction or wrong decisions. That’s why we should be smarter and dapat mas masipag tayo na i-fill yung minds natin ng truth and promises ni Lord. We should keep ourselves, our hope and views founded and anchored sa ano ba yung totoo. Sabi nga sa Philippians 4:8,

"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things."

Iba yung nagagawa ng nakikilala mo lalo yung will and heart ni God, nakakapanatag, nakakahumble. Kaya wag natin sirain yung beauty and joy ng today sa kakaisip about sa future na pinagkatiwala na natin sa mga kamay ni Lord. Pray lang talaga for God’s help and strength na mag let go sa things na wala naman na tayong control, lalo if nagawa na natin yung part natin di ba. And we have to always try to be present and enjoy and savor yung ngayon kasi today is what we have eh.

Well! I pray na we’ll always find hope and peace kay Jesus even if we face problems and uncertainties. Take heart! Be mindful and be careful always because our ultimate enemies are not people or object, the battle isn’t physical but spiritual (Ephesians 6:12)

God bless!!

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captaincosmosthings · 7 years ago

Video

youtube

Pienso que esta canción queda como anillo al dedo para Soukoku, las letras:

I know that sometimes I’m wrong, too wrong I know you’re tired to look at me sideways.

I’m sorry, nostalgia wins me, It will be that the divine, he did not mix the cards very well.

It will be a matter of luck that we keep separated, I would like to lock you up for a thousand nights, for a thousand years.

I still do not know anything about you in this fire, every time you are near me, It’s a hell. Since the day I met you.

I would like to find you some day on my way, you do not see that I’m still tied to a memory that I do not forget. And I have so many things to whisper in your ear, lies or truths that do not matter, it does not matter.

I still do not know anything about you in this fire, every time you are near me, It’s a hell. I still do not know anything about you in this fire, every time you are near me, It’s a hell. I’ve been like this for a while now, I can not sleep, since the day I met you.

And the hours in the night they fly in the early morning, where the stars shine, where there is nothing left.

And the night surprises me and it rips my insides, and it kills me little by little, It leaves me with nothing.

And your laughter overflows where the promises die, do not ask me to get mad if getting angry is your skill.

And do not forget that we gave ourselves all that we had left, however, almost never, never, it did not reach us. That night you left and that we started to hate each other, every day that fly away, every time I, more I miss you

#soukoku #es una buena canción #para estos dos #me gusta la angst de esta ship xd #es decir #solo cuando están separados #y hacen sus vidas #pero nunca dejan de ser socios #bungou stray dogs #nakahara chuuya #osamu dazai #la canción está en español #es más fácil si ustedes la traducen lol #bungou stray dogs en español #dazai osamu #chuuya nakahara

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socialmediaeducation-blog · 7 years ago

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Social media and education in 2030: Using social media as a resource and tool - Amy Gardiner

Social media continually impacts many areas of our lives. Social media gives us the power to connect, share, and in turn, educate one another. It becomes more and more important as the web and social media grows that we use these tools to educate ourselves and others. Just like the web, we have access to so much knowledge and information at our convenience, right at our fingertips or at the click of a button. In terms of education in the year 2030, social media will become a great tool to use as a resource for research, be used as a teaching platform, and recognized as a learning style.

To start, the education system and curriculums are constantly changing to keep students engaged but also to help keep the learning outcomes relevant to present day. One of the driving forces for education in and outside of school in present time is, of course, the internet. With online resources becoming more important and easier to access, education has evolved in the past few decades. However, with the rise of social media, the future of education could have a major breakthrough. In fact, a study revealed that roughly seventy percent of students use social media for educational purposes Diagram ii (Baruah, 2012, p. 6). In the years to come, specifically 2030, we could be seeing new and innovative ways to encourage education and learning in and out of a classroom through the use of social media. For instance, this article written in 2013 discusses the benefits of using social media in an educational setting. Fourteen studies concluded that interventions using social media tools resulted in improved knowledge (e.g. exam scores), attitudes (e.g. empathy), and skills (e.g. reflective writing) (Cheston & Chisolm & Flickinger, 2013, para. 3). The article also mentions the benefits of using social media as a resource in education because “[it] can overcome physical or temporal barriers, provide searchable content, and encourage interactivity” (Cheston & Chisolm & Flickinger, 2013, para. 6). To add, the students part of this study used one or more social media tools such as blogs (71%), wikis (21%), Twitter (14%) and Facebook (14%) which helped them in their studies (Cheston & Chisolm & Flickinger, 2013, para. 24). In 2030, “83% of the experts think that the pedagogical content will shift to more tailored and personalized content, adapted to individual student profiles” (WISE, n.d., p. 4). By using social media within the education system, it will allow teachers as well as students the opportunity to engage with one another on a platform that the younger generations are comfortable with. If social media was encouraging the growth and development of a huge number of students back in 2013, just imagine how many more are benefitting now and will be in the year 2030. Also, if social media continues to be (for the most part) free, it gives educational institutions more than a good reason to include social media as an education and resource tool. Another survey conducted based on schooling in 2030 found that “93% of respondents favor schools that implement innovative methods based on new teaching approaches and creative processes” (WISE, n.d., p. 4). By 2030, thousands of schools will be using social media as a major part of their teaching methods and as a resource for information. An article written in 2016 asked a series of questions to both students and teachers about using social media as a tool and resource. One of the questions asked why students used social media in terms of education. The results as represented in diagram i showed that 50% used it for professional links, 40% for making assignments and 10% for better research (Bahl & Gautam, 2016, p. 4). Evidently, students are aware of and are making use of social media to benefit their learning. By the year 2030, these statistics would probably be even higher. Also, this article also mentions three key points about using social media as an educational tool:

· Social media is not going away. “Students should be taught to use this tool in an efficient way in the educational classes than just being used for messaging and texting rather they should learn to use media for a good cause” (Bahl & Gautam, 2016, p. 1).

· When students are engaged, they tend to listen better. Some students don’t just learn from pen and paper. By using social media tools like blogging, for instance, it may encourage students to write for the teacher and themselves. By using social media to engage, students will likely do better work (Bahl & Gautam, 2016, p. 1).

· There are safe social media tools out there. Sites such as Edmodo, SLATE or kidblog are safe and free online resources/tools that teachers and students can use to communicate and learn with one another. These tools provide an environment that the teacher can control while engaging students through a platform their generation is comfortable with (Bahl & Gautam, 2016, p. 2).

By using social media as a tool and resource for education, especially in 2030, students will feel a better connection to the coursework and their teachers. Social media can provide a wide variety of information and resources that they can use to benefit their learning. For instance, social media tools can connect students to other students, teachers, schools, and professionals in the workforce locally or from around the world. Not only can social media be used for research or finding information, but it can also be used to create a connection or community within a wider group of people. By having access to social media in education, it may also increase the individual’s social capital as they are connected to more individuals in different aspects of their educational development. By 2030, social media will allow students and educators to share, discuss, and expand information that they find using social media platforms as resource material. In 2030, social media can be used as a resource because students would have the opportunity to talk to professionals in the field through a social platform. This can enhance their learning because they are receiving knowledge from a direct source and they can skip browsing the internet for information that may not be as accurate as an active conversation.

To continue, using social media as a resource can encourage different variations of learning. For instance, social media platforms can allow you to create and upload a variety of media such as videos, quizzes, audio, slideshows, even games. In 2030, participatory culture as well as more forms of media can be presented on social media which can improve its value as a resource. Content generating and sharing sites are “a major advantage to most of the people who are unable to get access to the educational resources” (Baruah, 2012, p. 4). A study in 2012 revealed, as diagram iii represents, how much respondents used a variety of social media tools. The top contenders being social media sites, blogs and video sharing sites (Baruah, 2012, p. 7). Social media provides an environment that allows a better understanding, perspective and enjoyment as well as encourages strong relationships between peers, teachers, and other social media users. In the year 2030, education and teaching methods will have changed dramatically. With so much media content available to us, it is more than easy to combine media with education. For instance, virtual reality or simulations has risen in popularity over the last couple of years and will continue to grow in 2030 (Millennium Project, n.d., para. 12). With social media and its contents introducing itself into an educational setting, educators and students will be given the opportunity to gain knowledge in a multitude of ways. Staying with the example of virtual reality, schools can use this technology to enhance and vary teaching methods and present knowledge in a different way. Another example could be students who like blogging may find assignments or lessons with blog aspects to be easier to follow and grasp. Blogs are just one of many examples of using “public communications to reinforce pursuit of knowledge” in 2030 (Millennium Project, n.d., para. 12). “Gamification” will also be on the rise in 2030 as games will add “a more creative, dynamic element to learning” and “[give students] the flexibility to assess progress and adapt their learning” (Munoz, 2017, para. 9). The key to education and social media in 2030 is adaptation. If we as educators and students stay open to a variety of social media platforms and content, it opens so much more opportunities to retain, spread and explore information.

Despite the many good things that social media can give to us, there are also some drawbacks. Some of the most common challenges or issues students met in a study from 2013 were “technical issues (43%), variable learner participation (43%), and privacy/security concerns (29%)” (Cheston & Chisolm & Flickinger, 2013, para. 3). The technical issues, though quickly resolved, were just people having trouble posting on social media for their course and issues signing up for the social platform. In truth, it just comes down to how tech savvy someone is; these issues provided no major drawbacks. Adding to this, the variable learner participation, according to the study, was a case of students losing interest or contributing to other people’s posts rather than their own. This issue could be fixed if teachers managed to make the online course more engaging and chose a social platform and/or content that would keep things interesting. In the year 2030, with how popular social media has become, there will be so much more sites to choose from and most likely new platforms that make the experience interesting for the user. As for privacy concerns, however, it is an understandable burden. With information becoming easier to access and spread, privacy, especially in an educational setting, is of high priority. In this study there were no major breaches in privacy or security, it was mainly just a matter of reviewing the privacy settings of the platform. By the year 2030, there will most likely be a high demand for social platforms to be used as part of the educational curriculum as well as online classrooms. The curriculum would most likely research and decide on the best platforms to use for the given course to keep the students safe as well as fulfill their educational goals. With social media on the rise and being introduced into educational curriculums, it is more than likely that the privacy settings on most platforms would be improved immensely. In fact, here are some useful social media sites that could be great candidates for social media in the classroom (Chesser, 2013):

· TedEd is a platform that posts TED talk videos that are straight to the point and cover a variety of subjects such as science, technology, health, art, psychology and more. It also provides communities and clubs that can allow students as well as teachers to collaborate. (para. 7).

· Academia.edu is a website that allows users to publish and read research papers. Users can keep track of research from other academics they follow as well as see how effective their papers are. Great for finding information on a variety of topics (para. 19).

· TeacherTube is basically YouTube but for educational purposes only. Teachers can control and upload a variety of media (including audio) to engage, communicate with, and teach their students (para. 18).

· Edmodo is a platform specifically for education. Educators can post calendars, assignments, connect with students, and much more. It is simple, efficient, and easy to use for both students and teachers (para. 6).

Another challenge that may arise with social media becoming a resource in education is plagiarism. Students who plagiarize someone else’s work through social media may prove difficult to keep track of. With millions of blogs, videos and photos that are floating in cyberspace, some information may be easy pickings for someone on a social media platform. However, there are tools out there (such as Turnitin) that allow educators to see what information has been stolen from another source. By 2030, there will almost certainly be more tools out there to catch plagiarizers and allow educators to educate to their best ability without worrying if their students aren’t doing their own work. In fact, it is more than likely that tools to catch plagiarizers will be added to social media platforms because of how fast social media is merging with education. Receiving false or weak information is also a risk when using social media as a resource for information. People can post content without citing sources, take their information from illegitimate sources, or simple make it up themselves. That being said, an easy way to look for useful data is to find certified users on the platform. For instance, Twitter and Instagram use a blue certification checkmark beside a user’s name if they are recognized as someone of importance or high-profile. This may make it easier to gain knowledge from valued sources. Also, just simply researching the information you found on social media can often help you determine the truth in what you came across. Typing the information into your search engine can often produce links and material that either supports or denies the information you found on social media.

To conclude, social media is merging with education at a very quick rate. By 2030, social media will become an important resource for educating, collecting information, and being used as a learning style. The future of education looks promising as we manage to overcome obstacles in the educational world as well as the online one. Soon, different media platforms and online classrooms will become the norm in modern day society. The year 2030 looks promising as education takes the next step in the evolution of social media and knowledge.

REFERENCES:

Cheston, C. C. & Chisolm, M. S. & Flickinger, T. E. (2013). Social Media Use in Medical Education: A systematic Review. Academic Medicine, 88(6), 893-901. doi: 10.1097/ACM. 0b013e31828ffc23. Retrieved from https://journals.lww.com/academicmedicine/Fulltext/2013/06000/Social_Media_Use_in_Medical_Education___A.36.aspx#R9-36

Bahl, K. S. & Gautam, D. R. (2016). Use of Social Media as an Innovative Educational Tool By Teachers and Students. International Journal of Business Management and Scientific Research, 24, 1-5. Retrieved from http://eminencejournal.com/images/pdf/DE8.pdf

Baruah, D. T. (2012). Effectiveness of Social Media as a tool of communication and its potential for technology enabled connections: A micro-level study. International Journal of Scientific and Research Publications, 2(5), 1-10. Retrieved from https://s3.amazonaws.com/academia.edu.documents/45712283/ijsrp-may-2012-24.pdf?AWSAccessKeyId=AKIAIWOWYYGZ2Y53UL3A&Expires=1521735014&Signature=VJse3lzBhslg84GoJDbSoH7%2BkkE%3D&response-content-disposition=inline%3B%20filename%3DEffectiveness_of_Social_Media_as_a_tool.pdf

Chesser, L. (2013). 25 Awesome Social Media Tools for Education. Retrieved from

https://www.opencolleges.edu.au/informed/features/social-media-tools-for-education/

World Innovation Summit for Education. 2014 WISE Survey: “School in 2030” (n.d.) Retrieved from https://www.wise-qatar.org/sites/default/files/wise-survey-school-in-2030.pdf

The Millennium Project. (n.d.). Education and Learning Possibilities by the year 2030. Retrieved from http://107.22.164.43/millennium/Education-2030.html

Munoz, S. (2017). What Will the Student Experience look like in 2030? Retrieved from https://www.d2l.com/en-eu/blog/will-student-experience-look-like-2030/

IMAGES

Diagram i:

Bahl, K. S. & Gautam, D. R. (Professor & Director). (2016). “Why do Students Use Social Media?” [png]. Retrieved from http://eminencejournal.com/images/pdf/DE8.pdf

Diagram ii:

Baruah, D. T. (Author). (2012). Percentage of respondents on the use of social media for educational purposes [png]. Retrieved from https://s3.amazonaws.com/academia.edu.documents/45712283/ijsrp-may-2012-24.pdf?AWSAccessKeyId=AKIAIWOWYYGZ2Y53UL3A&Expires=1524250026&Signature=E8IYjIBuMr3hQlzpdJE%2FE%2BRUT%2Bs%3D&response-content-disposition=inline%3B%20filename%3DEffectiveness_of_Social_Media_as_a_tool.pdf

Diagram iii:

Baruah, D. T. (Author). (2012). Percentage share of respondents on the use of different social media tools [png]. Retrieved from https://s3.amazonaws.com/academia.edu.documents/45712283/ijsrp-may-2012-24.pdf?AWSAccessKeyId=AKIAIWOWYYGZ2Y53UL3A&Expires=1524250026&Signature=E8IYjIBuMr3hQlzpdJE%2FE%2BRUT%2Bs%3D&response-content-disposition=inline%3B%20filename%3DEffectiveness_of_Social_Media_as_a_tool.pdf

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